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Texas parents speak out after CPS takes their newborn following at-home birth with midwife.
Texas-based parents Temecia and Rodney Jackson are speaking out in the wake of what they claim is the unjust removal of their newborn child from their care.
The couple shared how the ordeal unfolded during a live-streamed press conference on social media. A few days after successfully delivering Mila — the pair’s third child — during a March 21 homebirth with licensed midwife Cheryl Edinbyrd, they two took Mila for a wellness checkup. During their visit with Anand Bhatt, the family pediatrician of 10 years, he told the couple that Mila looked fine. However, they learned something else, too.
“Within that visit, we were told, “Everything is good, she looks great, the only thing is she has jaundice.” A couple of hours later, the pediatrician called my phone and wanted us to admit Mila to the hospital,” Temecia Jackson said during the press conference.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, jaundice occurs when a newborn’s skin appears yellow because the chemical, bilirubin, builds up in the baby’s blood. During pregnancy, the mother’s liver removes bilirubin for the child. Once the baby is born, the liver takes over the process.
Sometimes, an infant’s liver is still developing and can’t correctly rid the baby’s body of bilirubin. If the bilirubin levels are too severe (anything above 20 milligrams), the child is treated to prevent the chemical from seeping into the brain’s blood, which can lead to complications such as cerebral palsy. Yahoo News reports that Mila’s bilirubin levels were 21.7 milligrams.
According to the CDC, 60% of all babies are born with jaundice, but the couple still decided to contact their midwife for further consultation after receiving the news. Between the Jackson’s understanding, prior experience with the common condition and their midwife’s assessment, they decided to move forward with treating Mila at home.
“Later that night, around 11:30, [Bhatt] texted and said we are going against what he feels like we should do for our child. And that if we did not admit her immediately for jaundice, he was going to call CPS [Child Protective Services],” Temecia Jackson said.
A series of wellness checks from police and Dallas CPS quickly followed before authorities took Mila.
On the day of Mila’s removal, Temecia Jackson said her husband had just stepped out to walk the family’s dog when the constable arrived at their front door demanding to come in. Temecia Jackson quickly called her husband, who promptly returned home from the walk and reportedly remained respectful and conscious of his behavior during his interactions with authorities while denying them entry to his house.
“They chose to arrest my husband and take his key and unlawfully come into my home and take my baby from me,” Temecia Jackson said, becoming emotional.
She said she asked to see the paperwork and noticed that the affidavit bore the name of someone else. Unlike the Jacksons, the woman whose name was listed on the affidavit had a history of CPS investigations.
In a statement to Yahoo News, CPS acknowledged inaccuracies in the document. “Though there was an initial mistake on the affidavit, due to us being given incorrect information, it has been corrected,” the agency said, reportedly declining to comment further.
CPS only removed Mila and not the couple’s other two children.
“We’ve been treated like criminals,” Rodney Jackson said. “This is a nightmare that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
According to Yahoo News, advocates for the family condemn the removal, noting that it goes against their right to make their own healthcare decisions. “There was never an investigation,” Edinbyrd said during then press conference. “The attack on Black families, bodies, has to stop. We’re demanding that Mila be returned home today. Yesterday was too late.”
Meanwhile, some experts have pointed out that Bhatt would have borne some responsibility if Mila’s condition had worsened. “If something happens to the baby, the baby gets brain damage; who’s accountable for that?”Tiffany Green, an associate professor in the obstetrics and gynecology department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Yahoo News. “It won’t be the midwife,”.
A court hearing is scheduled for April 20 to determine the next course of action. Until then, Temecia Jackson is still breastfeeding to provide food for Mila during foster care visits.
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