Lars Thoughts – Hospitals Are Supposed To Make Families Healthy Not Rip Them Apart
June 10, 2020 10:31PM PDT
Photo: Pikist
Why is a NW hospital holding a brand new baby against the parent’s wishes?
Let me stick to just the facts I know.
I’ll make this a thread since its a long story and no one else is covering it…yet, I hope.
I talked to the mother of the baby this morning.
So, here’s the story. A friend of the new parents wrote to me for help.
The baby was born Tuesday. I talked to the mother Wednesday as she was being discharged from Providence St Peter hospital in Olympia (2nd biggest hospital in WA).
The mother (whose name I’m withholding unless she comes on the radio and agrees to being named) was being discharged from St Peter…without her baby and over her objections.
Mother confirms this
Father was removed from St Peter by police at hospital’s insistence.
Mother comfirms
The baby was born Tuesday
Mother confirms
Mother delivered the baby w no problems (her first)
Midwife had tested mom & dad for Coronavirus. Negative
Hospital tested mom for the virus.
Positive.
Hospital refused to let the baby go home (healthy, 5lb 9oz) w mother because of test
Mother confirms all of the above
Providence refused an interview and provided only a general statement and answered no Q. HIPPA.
Providence claims right to hold the baby.
“Any baby born to a COVID-positive mom is considered to be a person under investigation (PUI)
(statement)(PUI) and remains in precautionary isolation (placed in Special Care Nursery SCN) until discharge or taken off isolation by the Infection Prevention Department.
So based on the hospital’s test (covid tests can show false positive) St Peter says it can keep the baby.
The midwife’s test of the mother showed negative
Mother confirmed for me she is
NOT allowed to stay w her baby
NOT allowed to take the baby with her
NOT allowed to visit the baby till she shows negative test (by hospital) plus ten days.
Mother went home today.
(Providence statement) “Any Mom who has tested COVID-19 positive cannot visit SCN until 10 days after negative test and no symptoms.”
Hospitals impress on new mothers
You must hold and interact w the baby for attachment
Desirable to breastfeed.
That won’t happen with this baby.
I asked the mother for an interview on the radio. She was busy gathering her things as the hospital was forcing her to leave.
I hope she & her husband come on to talk about it
She has no symptoms of China virus
She has no baby
St Peter says she has no right to visit for 10 days+
Thats what I know at this point. It seems terribly wrong. I talked to an MD who says there’s no medical reason for St Peter to hold the baby.
This sounds like something that, under the rules, could happen to any mom
Go in symptom free, have a baby and a virus test traps your baby
Lars