State Interference of Child Medication

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Does the state have the right to interfere or intervene and remove children from the home because they feel the parents are negligent in caring for the child's mental and physical health? Based on the parent’s refusal to administer prescribed medication they deemed harmful in exchange for an alternative medicine? This dilemma is discussed by Corey Williams of the Associated Press, author of “Mother battles Michigan over daughter's medication” about Maryann Godboldo who decided to discontinue medicating her daughter, Ariana, with an anti-psychotic drug Risperdal to take on a more holistic approach to her daughter's health issues. This includes her confrontation with police due to negligent actions and behavior. Williams takes into account Ariana’s past and present health problems and whether the child was properly diagnosed with a mental disorder and appropriate treatment was administered. Williams believes the state has the upper hand in proving that she is indeed neglectful and a hindrance to her child's health.

Williams begins with Godboldo refusing to let authorities take her child which resulted in Godboldo being jailed and Ariana being placed in a psychiatric hospital. Williams adds that” She is now at odds with the Department of Human Services over her parental right as a mother to determine whether Ariana should continue taking Risperdal and the government’s role in her child's welfare.” Godboldo blames her daughter's health problems on malpractice and immunizations, without disclosed documented medical evidence. She asserts her claim her daughter responds better to holistic treatment as opposed to conventional medicine. He then points out that Human Services is not as convinced as she is in holistic treatment and “that w...

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...her actions towards police as self defense.

According to Williams the state may deem parents negligent based on their decisions of how their children's health care will be regulated if their decisions go against the standards the state considers fit for that child's well being. The parents’ reasons for such changes in treatment should be substantiated and if wrongfully accused of negligence should be handled without the excessive use of force. But Williams also takes into consideration the use Risperdal has on a child and whether there may have been indefinite diagnoses to accurately prescribe a certain medical treatment for a child. “Prior, as well as, pre existing health conditions should be examined by the parents, physicians, etc. including their input to determine a better course of action for treatment of children to either determine or avoid negligence. ”

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