Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Tulsa Police Arrest 2 Women After Newborns Test Positive for Drugs, Highlighting Growing Crisis

Tulsa police have arrested two women who gave birth to babies that tested positive for drugs, highlighting a growing problem that law enforcement and healthcare professionals are grappling with.

Lt. Jeanne Pierce of the Tulsa Police Department's Child Crisis Unit said, "We have seen an increase in drug-addicted children, specifically with fentanyl being very prevalent in our society right now. We are seeing a lot of kids being born with it in their system, but not only fentanyl."

According to court documents, Sydney Wayland was charged with child neglect after her newborn tested positive for amphetamine, fentanyl, meth, and THC.

The documents state that Wayland admitted to smoking fentanyl one or two times a day. Healthcare professionals who cared for the infant said the baby's withdrawal symptoms were so severe that morphine was administered.

In a separate case, Tulsa police arrested Talon Rentie on a child neglect charge after her baby tested positive for cocaine in March. Court records say Rentie admitted to relapsing during her pregnancy. The Department of Human Services (DHS) later terminated her parental rights. Records show she also lost custody of three other children due to similar issues.

The Tulsa Police Department's Child Crisis Unit reports seeing an increase in these types of cases over the past year, a trend echoed by Family and Children's Services' Women's Justice Center. However, the two organizations have different perspectives on addressing the problem.

The Child Crisis Unit emphasizes the legal consequences for mothers who use drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, particularly when their babies are born with withdrawal symptoms. The unit warns that women could face felony charges, which can carry sentences of up to life in prison.

"We've had women with up to six kids that have been born addicted to drugs, sometimes they just don't care," Lt. Pierce said.

However, the Family and Children's Services' Women's Justice Center advocates for treatment over punishment. Jena Moore, with the Women's Justice Center, said the issue is a disease, and treatment, not incarceration, is the solution.

"It's more of that stigma-increasing factor as opposed to really finding a solution that helps women find recovery," Moore said. The center focuses on a holistic approach, addressing trauma, providing prenatal care, and offering alternatives like methadone to help women reduce their opioid use.

"They can definitely continue to use less, we know it's safer and it doesn't create the distress on the fetus that it does if they are abusing just drugs off the street," Moore said.

Police said the need for mothers to take responsibility for both their own health and their baby's well-being.

"Whatever you eat and what you drink and what you intake into your body also affects your child," Lt. Pierce said. "I don't know if a parent just doesn't understand that or if they think they're not getting a lot of it or they just don't care."

For pregnant women facing substance abuse issues, the Women's Justice Center offers help at 808 South Peoria.

Department of Human Services sent a statement that says:

"Hospitals in Oklahoma are required by state statute to report to Oklahoma Human Services any infants who have tested positive for alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance, including those who are diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The agency is required to develop a plan of safe care that addresses the health and substance use treatment needs of the infant and mother or caregiver. Any plans previously developed by a hospital or medical professional to address the health and substance use treatment needs of the infant and the mother or caregiver will be included. The presence of a substance in the newborn is not always indicative of abuse or neglect in and of itself. In its assessment or investigation, Oklahoma Human Services looks at all relevant circumstances to understand whether the parent’s use of alcohol or other dangerous substances creates a safety threat or there are protective factors that exist in the home where the child can remain safe in their parent’s care. Only a judge can decide to remove children from their home. Law enforcement can place children in temporary, protective custody but only for 23 hours. After which, a court order is needed to keep the child in custody."

Oklahoma's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department offers several resources for those needing treatment or help preventing substance use.