After collecting blood spots for newborn screening, the dried blood spot (DBS) specimens are sent to a designated state laboratory for testing. These blood samples in state possession include newborns’ DNA. States have different laws governing parental rights to restrict DBS use. In some states, parents may completely restrict DBS use and request its destruction. […]
Category: news
Child “blows up” Santa. CPS investigates.
“Santa is dead,” 6-year-old Noah Kemp* announced grimly. The other young children at tumbling class looked at him in surprise. This was not a very merry sentiment. “No, he’s not!” someone piped up. “Yes, he is!” Noah shot back, “He came down the chimney, so I blew him up.” A few little boys seemed impressed, […]
Newborn CCHD Screening and Parental Rights
What is CCHD screening? The least invasive standard newborn screening is testing for CCHD via pulse oximetry. CCHD stands for critical congenital heart defects, a broad term encompassing a variety of inherited heart conditions. Pulse oximetry is a simple device which measures blood oxygen levels by shining a light through a baby’s hand or foot. […]
Newborn Hearing Screenings and Parental Rights
Why is a hearing screening often required at birth? One screening often required for newborns is a screening for risk for hearing loss. The hearing screening is a process involving earbuds or headphones connected to sensors playing soft sounds in a newborn’s ears. The sensors measure the baby’s response to determine whether there is potential […]
Newborn Blood Spot Screening and Parental Rights
Do I have to let the state health department have a sample of my baby’s blood? As if labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery were not enough to deal with upon a newborn’s arrival, there are also postnatal laws and regulations parents will encounter. One of these is the required newborn screening (NBS) process, which can […]
Member Story: Medical neglect for transferring to a new hospital?
“Should you feed her that? We don’t think her body can handle it.” Jason and Amy Hawkins* watched helplessly as the pediatric hospital staff started the feeding tube. Their 16-year-old daughter Alyssa had cystic fibrosis and standard hospital protocol did not meet her dietary needs. But the hospital would not listen. “How much are you […]
Top News: Mandatory reporting laws are a failure
When a person has a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, laws in every state require members of certain professions—and sometimes everyone—to report those suspicions to law enforcement or child protective services. On its face, this seems like a good idea. But it has actually been counterproductive to the original intent of […]
Can children be left in the car unattended?
After a long day of activities and running errands, trying to get multiple tired or even sleeping children up and out of a car can turn a quick stop at the post office into a major ordeal. If you have been in a situation like that, you have probably considered avoiding that hassle. “The weather […]
COVID-19 Vaccines for Schoolchildren
Though few people are talking about it anymore, a question raised over the past several years remains: will states require the COVID-19 vaccine for school-aged children? The answer is that it depends on the state. A few states have already published their immunization requirements for school children for the 2023-24 school year, but most have […]
“Vaccines mandates and homeschoolers.” Kevin Swanson interviews Bradley Pierce
In 2022, the FDA began approving COVID-19 vaccines. Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, school attendance in Washington D.C. is now conditioned on COVID-19 vaccination status. Just this year, the CDC added COVID-19 vaccines to the recommended immunization schedules for children as young as 6 months. Yet school immunizations are nothing new. Every state requires […]