CPS Seizes Newborn Baby From Parents After They Chose A Home Birth And Refused Hospital Treatment For Jaundice

Home births have become more popular in recent years as many women are distrustful of the conventional medical system and prefer to have unmedicated, natural births. Numerous mothers indicate that they feel safer and more comfortable bringing their child into the world from their house rather than the hospital. Temecia and Rodney Jackson, a couple in Dallas, TX, made the decision to give birth to their daughter Mila at home with the help of a licensed midwife. However, a series of events soon led to Child Protective Services (CPS) taking Mila away from her parents and holding her in custody.

CPS Seizes Newborn Baby from Parents after They Chose a Home Birth

Temecia and Rodney Jackson hired Cheryl Edinbyrd, a licensed midwife, to help them give birth to their daughter Mila. After she was born, Temecia and Rodney took her to a pediatrician for her first checkup, where they were told she had developed a case of jaundice, which occurs when the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a yellow pigment of red blood cells. It's quite common in newborns and is normally treated with phototherapy, a special type of light that helps the baby's liver break down the bilirubin from the blood. The pediatrician, Dr. Anand Bhatt, told the Jacksons that Mila's case was severe enough to take her to the hospital for phototherapy treatment, but they chose to do the treatment at home under the care of Edinbyrd, their midwife.

Dr. Bhatt expressed concern that they didn't possess the right lights for the treatment, and even though he tried to contact the Jacksons 10 times after their appointment, he couldn't get through to them. He decided to report them to CPS “after trying 10 attempts to appeal to the family through phone calls, text messages and leaving voicemails as they did not pick up the phone.” He said he could tell that the Jacksons were "very loving" and cared about their daughter, but "their distrust for medical care and guidance has led them to make a decision for the baby to refuse a simple treatment that can prevent brain damage."

Soon after, Dallas police officers ad CPS officials showed up at the Jacksons' home in the early hours of the morning and told them to hand in their newborn baby. The parents refused. Officials told Temecia and Rodney that their pediatrician reported them, so their midwife contacted Dr. Bhatt, gave him her credentials, and assured him that they could take care of the baby.

But that wasn't enough. A few days later, officials returned to the home, arrested Rodney while he was walking their dog, and used his keys to enter their house. They took Mila from Temecia and placed her in the custody of CPS.

“Instantly, I felt like they had stolen my baby, as I’d had a home birth. I didn’t know where to turn,” Temecia said.

However, the removal petition didn't have Mila's name on it. It didn't even have Temecia Jackson's name on it. “The paperwork had another mother's name on it,” Temecia said. Reportedly, the woman on the document had a criminal history and her 3-month-old child was removed from her home due to a domestic violence incident. Rodney Jackson is listed on the form as the "alleged father," but Temecia isn't named at all.

Mila is reportedly under the care of a foster family, and during their last visit to see her, they noticed some irritation around her genitals. They brought their concerns to CPS, but they were told that they weren't permitted to take Mila to the doctor and that the foster family would have to take care of her.

The Jacksons held a press conference on Thursday to tell their story. It was organized by the Afiya Center and Next Gen Action Network. Their court hearing was originally scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, but it has been moved to April 20.