Once again, hospital staff decides that it knows what is better for a child than the parents. A nurse on staff at Summerlin Hospital in Las Vegas reported the parents of a newborn to social services and had the baby held at the hospital without parental consent, simply because the parents opted for an alternative treatment to the one suggested by the staff. Or perhaps it was simply because these parents had made the choice to have their baby born at home under the care of a midwife?
Here is the press release with the details; please read below for information regarding the upcoming support rally.
BABY HELD AT HOSPITAL, NURSE CALLS CPS WITHOUT CAUSE AFTER PEDIATRICIAN GIVES OK TO RELEASE BABY
Las Vegas, NV – A mother laboring under the care of Certified Professional Midwife April Kermani was transported to Summerlin Hospital Tuesday for stalled labor. Dr. Donald Roberts assumed care, and the mother gave birth vaginally to a healthy baby girl about 7 hours after admission. On Wednesday the parents, Cecilia and Lincoln Rogers, were told they could not be discharged without a blood test for jaundice, a common and typically harmless condition among newborns. The test results came back with slightly elevated levels of bilirubin, indicating a mild case of jaundice.
The nursing staff told the parents they would have to place their daughter, Lilia Taylor Rogers, in isolation to undergo phototherapy and not allowed to nurse, but fed artificially with formula instead. They refused the treatment since newborn jaundice will usually resolve itself within two weeks. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends that jaundiced newborns continue to breastfeed regularly, as frequent feedings help remove bilirubin in the body. They were told by the attending pediatrician they were cleared to take the baby home and follow up with their midwife and pediatrician over the next several days.
A pediatric nurse then reported these parents to social services and the police, for unknown reasons. Their baby was held against their will at Summerlin Hospital for well over 24 hours. “We are being treated like criminals,” says the distraught mother. The CPS social worker calls the case “ridiculous.” Lilia’s bilirubin levels were back within the normal range very quickly.
Jaundice and Treatment Information:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001559.htm
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Management of hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn infant 35 or more weeks of gestation. Pediatrics. 2004;114:297-316.
We are planning a rally for Monday morning, March 28, at Summerlin Hospital to show our support for these parents, and all parents who give birth in hospitals in the Vegas valley. These hospitals must know that women do not give up their parental rights simply by passing through their doors!
If you are at all able, please come out and join us. I’ll be there with my baby and other mothers in our community. Bring your kids, bring your friends, and stand with us in support of parents rights.
Monday, March 28 · 9:30am – 12:30pm
Summerlin Hospital Medical Center
657 Town Center Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89144
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3.28.11
Followup: You can read about the rally in this post.