I find this completely absurd, and IMO this nurse needs some sort of repurcussion for her actions. Calling CPS is a big deal, and should not be taken lightly. I was curious what other nurses opinions would be over this.
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 lady partslly 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.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
all internet searches link to a facebook post about situation --just one side of the story. waving my crystal ball, highly suspect nurse called cps as another bili test needed prior to discharge and parents balked, wanting to walk out with baby.
working with philly area hospitals, i arrange 250 referrals month for postnatal care for our maternal child program --many are for bili checks or have cps involvement. in pa, nurses are mandated reporters to cps if parents are refusing reasonable care and threaten take baby home prior to having needed test done. bili levels continue to rise for first 3-5 days falling by 10-12th day. however some infants rise to dangerous level. it's important that rising levels be closely monitored so that phototherapy can be initiated to prevent kernicterus: seizures and brain damage.
cps received a report indicating that your child is not receiving proper care or is being abused
nevada law (nrs 432b.220) requires certain persons to make a report with cps or the police if they know or believe a child is being abused or neglected. those people include doctors, dentists, nurses, hospital personnel, daycare providers, clergy, social workers, teachers, and counselors. if those people who are required to make a report fail to do so, they are guilty of a crime. any other person who believes a child is being abused or neglected may make a report to cps or the police. the identity of the person who made the report is confidential and cannot be disclosed. however, if a person knowingly makes a false report, the court can order that person's identity to be released......
.... negligent treatment or maltreatment nrs 432b.140): abandonment or failure to provide a child with proper care, control or supervision, food, education, shelter, medical care or other care a child needs for his well-being. this could include not having a safe home, leaving a young child alone, or leaving a child with someone who does not properly care for the child or is unable to care for the child. this could also include using or being under the influence of drugs in the presence of the child or while caring for the child.
Parents who disagreed with keeping their newborn overnight in NICU found their infant taken away and threatened with arrest by law enforcement if they left the hospital after a nurse reported them to Child Protection Services.
Though parents had sought a second opinion to their infant's jaundice and were told they could take the baby home if they signed it out as "against medical advice", the nurse in question didn't agree and made a phone call.
This is uneducated--have you never heard of kernicterus? If levels are high enough without treatment, the baby could have severe brain damage. I think that's a medical emergency, don't you??
Anyone can make a call to CPS, by the way. In my experience, CPS usually doesn't take cases that our social work calls for even though some of the cases involved domestic violence, statutory rape, etc etc. I don't know how Las Vegas CPS works, but it definitely sounds like there is more to this story than what is being told.
Slightly elevated levels does not warrent Kernicterus...and many babies have slightly elevated jaundice at day 3...its physiological and does not need treatment other than breastfeeding, sunshine, and careful observation.
In my experience, a baby is placed on hold by CWS. Was this baby placed on hold or was the nurse just refusing to let the parents take the baby home? If that is the case that is imprisonment. Regardless, this story is fishy,
Some new nurses are just stupid. One time I took my son to the hospital for falling on his hotwheel and it went into his lip causing lots of bleeding and as a worried parent, I took him to the ER. While we were in the ER, a new grad nurse saw a bunch of red circles on my sons arms and legs, and she called CPS and told them i was burning him with cigarettes! The CPS came to my home and I showed them the red circles, which were nothing but a bunch of mosquito bites from playing around outside at dusk, as we lived in the boonies, and the CPS worker was shocked that she was called over that, the were obviously red, round and BUMPED UP! She was surprised that the nurse did not recognize mosquito bites. This was in a rural area, and I bet the nurse was from the city where mosquito's are rarer.
To say the least, I was shocked beyond belief that this stupid girl never asked me about them, or asked another person in the hospital to look at them, she just called CPS and made a report. Also my son is native American, and I have had several nurses think I was beating my child when they saw the Mongolian spot in the dimple on the back of his butt, his did not fade until he was about 3. At least the nurses asked me about that, and I was able to refer them back to his medical record. My nurse took pictures of his Mongolian Spot when he was born and warned me that many nurses do not know what they are and think they are abuse when they are not. We were from a predominately white area, where they were rare. The pictures were for my protection, and placed in his medical record with a description of what they were.
Some new nurses are just stupid. One time I took my son to the hospital for falling on his hotwheel and it went into his lip causing lots of bleeding and as a worried parent, I took him to the ER. While we were in the ER, a new grad nurse saw a bunch of red circles on my sons arms and legs, and she called CPS and told them i was burning him with cigarettes! The CPS came to my home and I showed them the red circles, which were nothing but a bunch of mosquito bites from playing around outside at dusk, as we lived in the boonies, and the CPS worker was shocked that she was called over that, the were obviously red, round and BUMPED UP! She was surprised that the nurse did not recognize mosquito bites. This was in a rural area, and I bet the nurse was from the city where mosquito's are rarer.
To say the least, I was shocked beyond belief that this stupid girl never asked me about them, or asked another person in the hospital to look at them, she just called CPS and made a report. Also my son is native American, and I have had several nurses think I was beating my child when they saw the Mongolian spot in the dimple on the back of his butt, his did not fade until he was about 3. At least the nurses asked me about that, and I was able to refer them back to his medical record. My nurse took pictures of his Mongolian Spot when he was born and warned me that many nurses do not know what they are and think they are abuse when they are not. We were from a predominately white area, where they were rare. The pictures were for my protection, and placed in his medical record with a description of what they were.
Thank you for adding more assumptions to an already murky situation.
Thank you for adding more assumptions to an already murky situation.
Sounds cut and dried to me, the doctor said they could go, the nurse made an ass out of herself and her hospital by calling the cops and CPS when she could have worked with the family. I just think the nurse was stupid, and my stories are of a few more people who could have benefited from a tiny bit more education. Just my . You have you opinion, and I have mine.
Sounds cut and dried to me, the doctor said they could go, the nurse made an ass out of herself and her hospital by calling the cops and CPS when she could have worked with the family. I just think the nurse was stupid, and my stories are of a few more people who could have benefited from a tiny bit more education. Just my . You have you opinion, and I have mine.
Every story is cut and dried when you only hear one side.
I think there was enough information in those articles to show each parties side. The hospital had its points, and the family had its, I just think the family shouldn't have been treated like criminals. There are many other options that could have been explored before CPS and cops were dragged in.
I think there was enough information in those articles to show each parties side. The hospital had its points, and the family had its, I just think the family shouldn't have been treated like criminals. There are many other options that could have been explored before CPS and cops were dragged in.
???
This is the only statement that wasn't from the parents:
Summerlin Hospital declined to comment on the specifics of this case but did release a statement that it disagrees with any claims that the hospital violated any patient rights.
my daughter had jaundice and her pediatrician encouraged me to breastfeed. there was never any mention of not doing so. he had a machine delivered to our home and we did light therapy there. this is the first time i've ever seen anything about being isolated, not breastfeeding, etc.
Just adding my NY :twocents:, we the public are only going to know one side of this story. However it does seem odd that an experienced mother/baby nurse would go to such lengths over what is being called a mild case of newborn jaundice. So we can assume the case didn't seem "mild" to this particular nurse, and or something else went on that we don't know about.
Even if this falls under required reporting, should the parents take legal action both the hospital and nurse will be dragged through the courts. That isn't going to do either's reputation nor malpractice insurance rates any good.
I for one would love to see the notes made by the nurse in question. I mean what she observed that lead her to make this call.
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. You have you opinion, and I have mine.
NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN
10 Articles; 19,196 Posts
all internet searches link to a facebook post about situation --just one side of the story. waving my crystal ball, highly suspect nurse called cps as another bili test needed prior to discharge and parents balked, wanting to walk out with baby.
working with philly area hospitals, i arrange 250 referrals month for postnatal care for our maternal child program --many are for bili checks or have cps involvement. in pa, nurses are mandated reporters to cps if parents are refusing reasonable care and threaten take baby home prior to having needed test done. bili levels continue to rise for first 3-5 days falling by 10-12th day. however some infants rise to dangerous level. it's important that rising levels be closely monitored so that phototherapy can be initiated to prevent kernicterus: seizures and brain damage.
nevada cps parent guide handbook
the challenge of preventing neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy: a new nursing protocol in the well newborn nursery
hyperbilirubinemia and jaundice
management of hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn infant 35 or more ...
thread will remain closed as no news source found.