Parents Accuse Stanford Teaching Hospital of ‘Medical Kidnapping’

Commentary It’s every parent’s nightmare. Your child isn’t feeling well. You take them to the emergency room, and the recommended treatment has dangerous side effects that you believe will permanently harm your child. You refuse treatment and take your child elsewhere, as is your right. But while an adult can voluntarily check out of a hospital at any time “against medical advice,” also called AMA, sometimes a hospital will block parents from removing a child from their care. The next thing you know, Child Protective Services (CPS) is involved, claiming they have the right to take your child from your custody to administer the recommended hospital treatment anyway....