Couple Loses Custody of Newborn Over a Bagel?

Photo of a Poppy-Seed Bagel
Giving new meaning to the phrase “Watch what you eat,” Pennsylvania’s Elizabeth Mort and Alex Rodriguez had their newborn daughter Isabella taken by children’s services because Mort flunked a drug test.  Which, if you listen to Mort (and the ACLU, natch), was a misunderstanding caused by a poppy-seed bagel.

From AOL News:

[Isabella Rodriguez] was born on April 27 at Jameson Hospital’s North Campus in Lawrence County. Before the birth, per hospital policy, Mort was required to submit a urine sample for drug testing. She agreed to the test but reportedly …

Continue reading



You Might Also Like ...

Did Couple Temporarily Lose Custody of Newborn Because of Their Political Beliefs?

Photo of Oath Keepers Poster

Cheyenne Irish was removed from the custody of her parents when she was only 16 hours old by DCYF. This raises a whole host of questions, the most important being how compelling was the complaint leading to this action?

My gut says it had to have been pretty bad … I’ve had dealings with DCYF in my career as a teacher, and I’m at times frustrated by how slowly the wheels seem to turn. What made New Hampshire’s Johnathan Irish and Stephanie Taylor so horrible that the state removed the baby from their custody when she hadn’t even been on the earth for a full day? Even the couple that named their kid Adolf Hitler managed to hold onto him for three years …

If you give any credence to Irish and Taylor, it’s a witch hunt of sorts, with their inclusion in a group called the Oath Keepers playing a direct role in the custody issue.

While it’s kind of a moot point now, as custody of baby Cheyenne was returned to her parents after a court hearing last week, I find myself completely intrigued by this story because there are clearly a lot of puzzle pieces missing.

From WMUR:

Irish and his girlfriend said the state cited abuse and neglect claims. But Irish said officials also took the baby because they were uneasy about his involvement in a group called the Oath Keepers, which claims to uphold the constitution.

The state said it doesn’t take someone’s political views into consideration when they get involved with a family.

And, as you can imagine, the Oath Keepers are pretty pissed off themselves.

Members of the Oath Keepers protested at the courthouse and said the state unfairly used their group’s name as a reason to take custody of the child.

“People are worried that if they speak out or join some particular group that someday down the road, it could come back to haunt them or be used against them in a proceeding about their children,” said Stewart Rhodes of Oath Keepers.

Beyond the Oath Keepers part of the equation, Foster’s Daily Democrat contains some pretty specific information about why they were concerned about Baby Cheyenne’s safety.

While DCYF officials have denied that Irish’s affiliation with the Oath Keepers was a reason for taking Cheyenne away, they do make some very serious allegations against Irish and Taylor in …

Continue reading



You Might Also Like ...

Another Reason to Breastfeed … Or is It Just More Propaganda?

When you hear the phrase “a woman’s right to choose,” there’s generally a quick synapse pop to the word “abortion.” However, I feel that the push to force women to breastfeed gives new meaning to the idea of choice … and it’s a meaning that does not reflect well on the medical profession.

Anyway, there’s a new study out that gives yet another enticing reason to breastfeed—it evidently lowers the risk of developing Type II Diabetes (the one that’s linked to obesity) later in life.

From Bloomberg Businessweek:

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh studied more than 2,200 women aged 40 to 78. They found that 27 percent of mothers who didn’t breast-feed developed type 2 diabetes, almost double the rate among women who breast-fed or never gave birth.

The researchers say the differences between the groups held up even after they adjusted the statistics for factors such as age, race, levels of physical activity and body-mass index.

“Diet and exercise are widely known to impact the risk of type 2 diabetes, but few people realize that breast-feeding also reduces mothers’ risk of developing the disease later in life by decreasing maternal belly fat,” said Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynecology …

Continue reading



You Might Also Like ...