Family Nearly Loses Newborn Over Faulty Urine Test

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Family Nearly Loses Newborn Over Faulty Urine Test

A newborn was reunited with her family Monday night after the state took
custody of the baby and her older brother after her urine tested positive
for marijuana, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Zelma Jackson gave birth to her second child on Oct. 19 at Northeast
Hospital in Houston after she and her family fled Louisiana during Hurricane
Katrina.

However, Child Protective Services took custody of the newborn girl and her
3-year-old brother after the hospital reported a positive test for marijuana
based on an unconfirmed urine test. Hospital officials have not said how
they legally retrieved a urine sample from the baby.

"I told them, 'I don't do drugs, so I'm wondering how did you all find
marijuana in my child's system when I don't smoke marijuana,'" Jackson told
KPRC Local 2.

CPS said they also took custody of the children because case investigators
believed the Jacksons were a flight risk.

The entire family underwent a new round of drug tests, in which all of the
results came back negative.

Hospital officials have not said where they obtained the original urine
sample that tested positive.

CPS has since dropped the case.

Zelma Jackson worked in patient services for Tulane Hospital and her was
husband, Marcel, a former military member, worked as a construction worker
in New Orleans.