ArticleAnnals of family medicine
Structural Racism in Newborn Drug Testing: Perspectives of Health Care and Child Protective Services Professionals.
Article in Annals of family medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Impact of policies on pregnant individuals using drugs: A narrative synthesis review of treatment, health care access, and outcomes.Stigma and health · 2026Article
- Prenatal Substance Exposure and Multilevel Predictors of Child Protection System Reporting.The Journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- A multi-level explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study of perinatal toxicology practices in New York State: Protocol.PloS one · 2025Article
- Stop Testing Black Babies!Annals of family medicineArticle
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeBlack birthing parents and their newborns disproportionately experience newborn drug testing for prenatal substance exposure by health care professionals (HCPs), which contributes to Child Protective Services (CPS) reporting, family separation, and termination of parental rights. This qualitative study aims to interrogate dominant power structures by exploring knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of HCPs and CPS professionals regarding the influence of structural racism on inequities in newborn drug testing practices.
methodsWe conducted semistructured interviews with 30 physicians, midwives, nurses, social workers, and CPS professionals guided by an explanatory framework, and conducted inductive, reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsWe identified 3 primary themes: (1) levels of racism beyond the hospital structure contributed to higher rates of drug testing for Black newborns; (2) inconsistent hospital policies led to racialized application of state law and downstream CPS reporting; and (3) health care professionals knowledge of the benefits and disproportionate harms of CPS reporting on Black families influenced their decision making.
conclusionHealth care professionals recognized structural racism as a driver of disproportionate newborn drug testing. Lack of knowledge and skill limitations of HCPs were barriers to dismantling power structures, thus impeding systems-level change. Institutional changes should shift focus from biologic testing and reporting to supporting the mutual needs of birthing parent and child through family-centered substance use treatment. State and federal policy changes are needed to ensure health equity for Black families and eliminate reporting to CPS for prenatal substance exposure when no concern for child abuse and neglect exists.
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