Poppy Seed Bagel Almost Cost New NJ Mom Custody: Lawsuit

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A new New Jersey mom says a poppy seed bagel might have cost her custody of her child, records show.

The mom, identified as Kate L., filed suit against Bergen County's Hackensack University Medical Center over a false-positive drug test says no one informed her she was taking, according to the complaint filed March 8 with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights.

"I’m terrified of ever going to a hospital again," Kate said in a statement. "I'm always going to worry that our family could be torn apart."

A spokesperson for Hackensack Meridian Health — the system that comprises the 30 Prospect Avenue hospital — told Patch the provider doesn't comment on ongoing litigation.

Problems began with the poppy seed bagel — which can trigger false positives on opioid tests — Kate ate before going to Hackensack University Medical Center to deliver her baby in September, the lawsuit contends.

Kate was used to getting urine tested during prenatal medical appointments, but didn't realize the hospital planned also to test her for drugs, according to the lawsuits.

The hospital reported Kate's false positive to the New Jersey Department of Child Protection before she "even had the chance to parent (her) newborn child," said the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, Kate's representative in court.

The state ultimately concluded that any accusations of abuse or neglect were unfounded, but Kate and another woman who filed suit over a similar situation said they'd feared they'd lose custody.

According to the ACLU, both women were subject to discrimination.

"Our clients are sending a clear message to hospitals that these testing and reporting policies are unacceptable,” said ACLU-NJ attorney Molly Linhorst.

“Discriminatory testing policies like these upend what should be a time of joy for families, and so often subject them to further trauma and unwarranted investigation by the state."

Kaitlin K., the second mom, said she, too, remains frightened after her visit to Virtua Voorhees Hospital in Camden County.

"This whole ordeal has been extremely stressful and has turned our lives upside down," Kaitlin said.

"Because of what happened, I live in fear of medical tests and how they might be used against me as a mother."

Patch editor Josh Bakan contributed to this report.