Whats the laws requiring infant drug testing at birth?
The prevalence rate of drug use by pregnant women in the United States has been shown to range from 7.5 percent to 11 percent. Drug exposure in utero has been associated with deleterious effects on the fetus and newborn. Public health officials are currently confronted with difficult policy decisions with regard to testing and reporting of pregnant and post-partum women and the provision of appropriate services. The widespread lack of consistent policy on the State level has led to bias in testing and reporting procedures and to the inappropriate use of the legal system as a deterrent to drug use during pregnancy. A survey of the 50 States and the District of Columbia found that no State currently has enacted legislation regarding testing. Thirteen States have mandatory reporting policies for drug-exposed newborns. Eleven of these States require reporting to social service agencies, at least 3 States routinely report to criminal justice agencies, and 10 require that reports be filed as
