The Mass General Brigham Hospital system is making a major change and it will impact their youngest patients.
The hospital will no longer report suspected abuse or neglect to the state solely if a newborn baby tests positive for drugs after birth.
Instead, hospitals will now require written consent before conducting a drug test on the expectant mother or infant, in most cases.
Mass General Brigham said the move is to address the "racial and ethnic inequities" present in healthcare, adding that substance abuse disorder in the context of pregnancy more "disproportionately affects Black individuals."
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
