PROVIDENCE, R.I. , July 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New research published in the latest issue of Annals of Family Medicine provides greater insights into racial disparities in newborn drug testing practices that disproportionately impact Black birthing parents and their newborns.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan , provides a critical examination of how structural racism influences these inequities and calls for urgent policy changes to address the issue. The qualitative study, titled " Structural Racism in Newborn Drug Testing: Perspectives of Health Care and Child Protective Services Professionals " explores the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of health care and Child Protective Services (CPS) professionals regarding newborn drug testing practices. Key findings include: Levels of racism beyond the hospital contributed to higher rates of drug testing of Black newborns.
Variations in hospital policies lead to racialized application of state laws and subsequent CPS reporting. Health care professionals' knowledge of the benefits and harms of CPS reporting on Black families influenced their testing decision making. Health care professionals recognized structural racism as a driver of disproportionate newborn drug testing.
However, their beliefs, lack of knowledge, and skill limitations were barriers to dismantling power structures impeding systems-level change. Reflecting on the results of their study, the authors urge the need for institution.