Temecia and Rodney Jackson are relieved after it was reported that their 1-month-old daughter will be returned home.
Mila Jackson was born on March 21 in an at-home birth in Desoto, Texas. The Jacksons took their child for a check-up three days later at their pediatrician. The couple said the nurse practitioner who examined Mila gave a positive report, but the married couple received news later on that day from Dr. Anand Bhatt that their daughter had a dangerously high level of jaundice.
Bhatt reportedly suggested that the couple bring their child to the hospital for treatment. The Jacksons chose to do in-home care instead with their state-approved midwife that helped deliver Mila. Midwives are healthcare providers who deal with pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care and postpartum health, according to Cleveland Clinic.
According to WFAA News, Bhatt wrote a letter to Child Protection Services urging them to intervene to get Mila proper treatment.
Related: ‘I Was Blindsided’: Illinois Mother Nearly Lost Custody of Her 10-Month-Old Child After Doctors Wrongly Assumed a Mark on His Ear Was a Bruise — It Was a Birthmark
Bhatt, the family’s pediatrician, said the case was severe enough for the newborn to be taken to the hospital for phototherapy, according to a letter he wrote to CPS that was published by WFAA News. The doctor cited those concerns and also mentioned the numerous failed attempts to reach the Jacksons.
Jaundice occurs because a baby’s liver isn’t mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. It is a common condition in newborns that results in the yellowing of their skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice in newborns can clear up without treatment in one to two weeks, but more severe cases require phototherapy treatment. In the Jackson case, Bhatt was concerned the family would not have the special phototherapy lights at home that baby Mila needed for her treatment.
Dallas police officers and CPS took…
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