Reveal Podcast Episode Summary Title: She Ate a Poppy Seed Salad. Child Services Took Her Baby
Host: Al Letson
Release Date: August 9, 2025
Produced by: The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Introduction: The Crisis of False Positive Drug Tests

In this compelling episode of Reveal, host Al Letson delves into the alarming issue of false positive drug tests administered to pregnant women in hospitals. These erroneous results often lead to the unnecessary intervention of Child Protective Services (CPS), resulting in the traumatic separation of mothers from their newborns. Reporter Shoshana Walter, in collaboration with the Marshall Project, uncovers multiple cases where innocent mothers lost custody due to flawed testing procedures.

Case Study 1: Susan Horton's Ordeal

[01:41 – 05:57]

Susan Horton’s story is a poignant example of the life-altering consequences of false positive drug tests. After a challenging pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Susan gave birth to her fifth child, Hallie. The immediate aftermath of the birth took a devastating turn when hospital social workers informed her that her urine tested positive for methamphetamine.

• Susan Horton (08:21): "You tested positive for methamphetamine. You can leave, but your baby cannot."

Initially believing she was being mistaken for someone else, Susan struggled to understand how her consumption of a poppy seed salad the night before delivery could trigger such a result. Her attempts to explain were met with disbelief and aggression from the medical staff.

• Shoshana Walter (03:19): "I had no inkling, no idea that we would be fighting for our baby to come home with us."

Despite having a clean record and no illicit drug use, Susan faced the threat of losing her baby. The hospital’s reliance on preliminary drug test results, without confirmatory testing, left her vulnerable to CPS intervention.

Case Study 2: Grace and Colin Smith’s Battle

[14:53 – 35:52]

Grace and Colin Smith experienced a similar ordeal in Pennsylvania. Grace, a lawyer managing ADHD with prescribed Vyvanse, and Colin, a stay-at-home dad, were preparing for the birth of their fourth child. Upon admission, Grace tested positive for methamphetamine, leading to an immediate CPS investigation.

• Colin Horton (15:50): "We have a right to consent."

Despite presenting medical records that clearly showed Grace’s prescription for Vyvanse, the hospital proceeded with CPS involvement without conducting a second, more accurate test. This oversight resulted in the short-term placement of their newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the subsequent loss of custody.

• Michael Smith (18:00): "We were escorted out of the hospital without our baby."

The Smiths' case highlights the failures in the system where confirmatory tests are either not mandated or overlooked, leading to unjustified family separations.

Expert Insights: Understanding False Positives

[19:15 – 25:06]

To comprehend the technicalities behind these false positives, Shoshana Walter consulted Dr. Gwen McMillan, a medical director specializing in drug testing.

• Dr. Gwen McMillan (19:20): "Some common cold medications will trigger positive results. The Sudafed that they're taking or the Vicks nasal inhaler."

Dr. McMillan explained that the initial urine screening tests are broad and can mistakenly identify substances like poppy seeds or prescribed medications as illicit drugs. For instance, Vyvanse, an ADHD medication, metabolizes similarly to methamphetamine, leading to confusion in the test results.

• Shoshana Walter (22:57): "Oftentimes what fishing nets end up doing is picking up lots of different kinds of sea creatures. And so when you think about that in terms of drug tests, a lot of substances that look like meth will get caught up in that net even though they are not actually meth at all."

Despite the availability of more accurate confirmatory tests, such as toxicologist analyses, hospitals often skip these steps due to cost and lack of standardized protocols, exacerbating the problem.

Systemic Failures and Disproportionate Impact

[25:19 – 40:05]

The absence of mandatory confirmatory testing means that many mothers are wrongly accused based on unreliable initial screenings. This issue is compounded by systemic biases:

• Shoshana Walter (40:05): "Multiple studies have found that Black, Latinx, Indigenous women and women on Medicaid are disproportionately drug tested when they go in to give birth."

These biases result in marginalized communities bearing the brunt of these flawed practices, leading to higher rates of unnecessary CPS interventions among women of color and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Long-Term Consequences for Affected Families

[43:42 – 50:05]

The repercussions of false positives extend far beyond temporary custody losses. Families endure emotional trauma, legal battles, and lasting distrust in the healthcare and child welfare systems.

• Susan Horton (45:15): "It undermined my sense of self and confidence as a mother."

Grace and Michael Smith's legal pursuit, though ultimately unsuccessful, underscores the desperate measures families take to reclaim their lives.

• Michael Smith (47:35): "We spent the entire next year filing our own lawsuit against everyone we thought might have been involved."

These stories reveal a deep-seated crisis affecting both individual families and societal trust in medical and legal institutions.

Potential Solutions and Call for Reform

[50:05 – 52:06]

Despite the existence of protocols for confirmatory testing, they remain underutilized for pregnant women. The episode emphasizes the need for systemic reforms:

• Shoshana Walter (47:28): "There's a known solution to all of this. There are already laws and regulations for drug testing, just not when it comes to pregnant people."

Advocacy for standardized confirmatory testing and unbiased screening practices is crucial to prevent further injustices. The episode calls for legislative action to protect mothers from the devastating consequences of false positive drug tests.

Conclusion: The Urgent Need for Change

Reveal shines a light on a critical flaw in the healthcare and child welfare systems, where innocent mothers are unjustly penalized due to unreliable drug testing. Through harrowing personal stories and expert analysis, the podcast underscores the urgent need for policy reforms to ensure that justice prevails over flawed procedures. As Shoshana Walter poignantly states, "Justice is important to people. You know, when things go wrong, you say, well, somebody's gotta do something here."

Notable Quotes:

• Susan Horton (08:21): "You tested positive for methamphetamine. You can leave, but your baby cannot."
• Shoshana Walter (22:57): "Oftentimes what fishing nets end up doing is picking up lots of different kinds of sea creatures."
• Michael Smith (18:00): "We were escorted out of the hospital without our baby."
• Dr. Gwen McMillan (19:20): "Some common cold medications will trigger positive results."
• Shoshana Walter (47:28): "There's a known solution to all of this."

This episode of Reveal not only exposes the heart-wrenching experiences of affected mothers but also advocates for necessary changes to protect vulnerable families from systemic failures.