Everything Nurses >> Nursing Politics/Activism >> pregnancy and alcohol, should some babies be removed from parents at birth?
pregnancy and alcohol, should some babies be removed from parents at birth?
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Posted almost 5 years ago Some kids will never stand a chance. Does anyone believe that some children should be removed from their parents at birth:
Tauranga police are investigating whether they can charge woman who was found to be drinking heavily just days before she was due to give birth.
Police arrived at a Papamoa home about 4am on July 3 after the woman's partner assaulted her, the Tauranga District Court was told today. They found the couple had been drinking alcohol for about eight hours. The woman was expected to give birth this week. Tauranga police family violence co-ordinator Detective Sergeant Jason Perry said he was unsure if the woman's drinking was a criminal offence. "It's gravely concerning that anyone would consume large amounts of alcohol while pregnant, placing the welfare of their own unborn child at risk," he told the Bay of Plenty Times. "We will certainly be investigating the circumstances and if there is any criminality involved, we will consider whether charges should be laid against her." The woman's partner appeared in court charged with one count of assaulting a female and two of assault with a weapon. He pleaded guilty and was bailed to reappear for sentencing on August 1. |
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| Posted almost 5 years ago Indigenous peoples have long suffered from the influences of colonization by Europeans. New Zealand natives, the Maori are suffering from the European influences. They are considered second class citizens and in many ways are disregarded in decisions made by the powers of this country. Alcoholism, before the invasion of europeans was non-existent. Is the choice of adoption given to another Maori family? No, the child would be adopted by a white family, taken away from it's families heritage, disallowed to learn their native language or customs. Education is needed, rehabilitation treatments, jobs, education for better paying jobs, not taking children away from their native family. Do I think the baby should be removed from it's parents immediate care? Yes, but instead of putting the child up for adoption by a non Maori, I think the child should be with a Maori family. |
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| Posted almost 5 years ago Ah, Dmazment, you're making some pretty unfounded accusations. 5. If you want to get an idea of what is happening NZ look up about the Treelords deal, or perhaps the Sealords deal. Maybe even look up about the 'Treaty of Waitangi'. Please please please do some research before spouting of generalisations. |
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| Posted almost 5 years ago I dont think it matters ethnically, If you drink during pregnancy you stand the chance of your baby having serious problems, I just cant understand why mothers who drink, smoke or whatever. The harm that they are doing to their unborn babies. You would think because this baby is a part of you, you would want to do any and every thing to protect it. As far as taking the child away from the mother that is a tough decision to make. MICHELE
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| Posted almost 5 years ago I do not make comments unless I'm informed and I talked at length with a friend of mine who is a Maori activist, a lawyer and has first hand experienced being adopted by a white family as opposed to staying within her maori culture. In fact, this woman happens to be 3 in line as Queen of the Maori. She feels Maori's are not heard, are continually discriminated against and thinks your comments makes you of European origins. Those are her words, not mine. She also happens to know the woman in question. Agrees this child should be removed from her care.
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| Posted almost 5 years ago well the newspaper article doesn't state it is a maori family, so any view expressed on my part has nothing to do with race. You have tried to turn this article into a race issue when the general reader of it is making a judgment on the facts, not the race, as should be the case. In fact by the reader not knowing the race/ethnicity of the subject, they are more likely to make a less judgmental opinion. Also, you said your source was an activitist, do you really think you will get a non-biased opinion from an activitist. You need to speak to some of the local maori people, have lived and worked with them to a more balanced view. You also put all the Maori people into one catergory, ie they are unhappy, down-trodden, second class citizens. Perhaps you should get some opinions aside from your activist friends. As for being adopted by a non-maori family, you seem to think this is wrong. What matters is that the child receives a safe, caring family. I hope this was the case. In an ideal world she would have been adopted to a Maori family, but please ask her if she resents her parents. In Britain at the moment there is discussion about the shortage of parents to adopt as they are continually trying to find parents of the same ethnic background. They are thinking of changing this. Perhaps if I give you some idea of the problems we have from a nursing perspective. Some Maori leaders want a separate health system because they feel that the current health system does not meet their needs. We can't afford the health system we have, let alone two. I've been called racist because I asked a Maori family to leave the room. There were four patients in the room, all post surgery, and there were six family members, sometimes singing, sometimes praying. I gave them half an hour then said they had to go as the patients needed their rest. I got a written complaint from the family. The family said their father (patient) should have had a single room so they could heal as a family in their own way. The single rooms are for the patients who are the sickest, and we were always full, so their wish was not granted, although I did explain why. They didn't say it to my face, but they said I lied and there was a room free. I'm not denying that there are problems. Another problem is the legal system which they say is racist and some maori want a separate legal system. They literally want a second set of laws. So when a Maori man rapes a Maori woman, they will deal with things their own way. What happens if a Maori man rapes a white woman? Hopefully you can see that these things are not only impossible, but unjust and discrimmatory. We can't have two health systmes and two sets of laws for different people, that sounds a little bit like apartheid. |
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| Posted almost 5 years ago In the USA, many states have fetal endangerment laws that will take babies from mothers who drank, used prescription drugs (even ones prescribed to her), or continue to work in environments that could be considered dangerous to infants such as cosmetic factories or heavy industries. Most were drafted during the anti-feminist 1980s. For some reason, however, providing health care to uninsured mothers never seems to be a focus of these laws. Although it is an issue of morality as well as national health interests to keep fetuses healthy, I for one tend to side with mothers over children; and a lack of health insurance for mothers is just as much of a concern to me as the specter of alcoholism or drug abuse. Furthermore, state-run foster care programs are usually really messed up and loaded with problems such as child abuse and financial mismanagement. It would have to take a thorough investigation and overhaul of the foster care system to suggest that it would be the lesser of two evils.
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| Posted over 4 years ago I vote yes...I work in an OB department and more than once have I seen babies born addicted to alcohol and heroine and have wanted to just take them home with me... Until you have had to take care of a newborn who is screaming all night long because it is having DT's, you dont 't really know what it's like. CPS comes in, performs and evaluation and decides that the infant is to go home in the custody of the patients mother...even though the patient LIVES with her mother!!! How does this serve as a consequence to the patient??? who will, undoubtedly go and get pregnant again, while she is using and thus the cycle continues...there just aren't strict enough consequences... |
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| Posted over 4 years ago Also being a labor and delivery nurse 15 years I too saw many cocaine babies born going through DT's it is very sad, esp heroin boy, you wanna hit the mothers up side the head, and CPS comes in and yes the babies go home with family and the baby ends right back in the same cycle of abuse. More should be done to not let these babies go home to dis-functional families. It is very hard as a nurse to NOT get upset at these mothers. A busy RN is here |
