Idaho Parents Take Boise Hospital to Court Over Newborn's Forced Spinal Tap

Idaho Parents Take Boise Hospital to Court Over Newborn's Forced Spinal Tap

An Idaho couple's lawsuit pitting them against a Boise hospital that ordered spinal tap on their newborn against their wishes could lead to a revised look at parents' federal right to govern their child's medical care.

Eric and Corissa Mueller have waited six years to get their say in court and allege that their constitutional rights as parents were violated simply because they preferred not to let a doctor stick a needle in their 5-week-old daughter's spine without more information.

But in Idaho, as in many other states, the state can seize a child in a hospital setting if authorities believe the child is being neglected or abused. In the Mueller's case, child protection services was called on a medical neglect accusation when Corissa Mueller declined the spinal tap on baby Taige against their doctor's recommendation.

Note: Interesting.