Mom has newborn baby taken away from her because a poppy seed bagel she ate before going into labor caused the 29-year-old to test positive for OPIATES
- Elizabeth Dominiguez, 29, decided to treat herself to a poppy seed bagel just hours before she went into labor on May 1
- A urine sample was taken prior to the birth of her baby and it came back testing positive to opiates
- Child protective services were called, and Dominiguez's newborn son was required to stay in hospital under medical observation
- Mom and baby were reunited when further tests concluded that the poppy seeds on the bagel - derived from opium plants - were responsible for the reading
A New York mother was forcibly separated from her newborn baby after she ate a poppy seed bagel that caused her to fail a drug test earlier this month.
Elizabeth Dominiguez, 29, of Tonawanda, decided to eat the tasty treat just hours before she went into labor on May 1.
Arriving at the hospital to give birth, Dominiguez was asked for a urine sample, and was subsequently left shocked when it came back testing positive to opiates.
Speaking with WKBW, she stated: 'I called my husband freaking out saying "How is this possible?" I don’t do drugs!'
Dominguez gave birth to her baby son, Carter, later that day, and hospital staff followed protocol by contacting Child Protective Services.
Elizabeth Dominiguez (right) was temporarily separated from her newborn son Carter after she ate a poppy seed bagel that caused her to test positive to opiates. She is pictured after being reunited with her baby, alongside her husband and elder daughter
Baby Carter did not have any opiates in his system, but doctors still wanted him to remain in hospital under observation
Dominguez says the incident was traumatizing, and she is sharing her story to raise awareness
While Carter's tests did not show any opiates in his system, the newborn was required to stay in hospital under medical observation.
Meanwhile, Dominiguez was discharged, and separated from her son.
Further follow-up reports showed she only acquired the positive reading because of the poppy seeds on her bagel.
One doctor explained to WKBW that the seeds are derived from the opium plant.
'In some cases eating a large amount of poppy seed such as the kind found in a bagel has been shown to produce low levels of morphine and codeine in the urine'.
The medic added that it was likely the seeds 'had not been washed.'
While Dominguez was swiftly reunited with her baby boy, she says the ordeal was terrifying.
'I felt like a terrible mother leaving him [Carter]. I just want everyone to know that this could happen. It’s such a terrible thing and I don't want it to happen to anyone,' she stated.
Poppy seeds are derived from the opium plant, and eating just ONE of the baked goods can bring about a positive reading for opiates
