WOMAN GIVEN LABOR SEDATIVE LOSES CUSTODY OF CHILDREN FOR THREE MONTHS

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A woman who was given a sedative during labor lost
custody of her newborn son and other children for three months when the
baby failed a drug test.

Orange County child welfare officials say they only learned in January that
the barbiturate found in Noel Lujan's son was prescribed by a doctor at
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.

In the meantime Lujan, 25, could not feed her child without supervision,
and contends she lost her job because of absences to attend a required drug
treatment program.

"It was horrible," she said this week as she cradled her son, Daniel, at
her parents' home. "The whole three months, they were telling me I was a
drug addict, that I was in denial."

"If this is an honest error, then we are sincerely sorry," Michael Riley,
director of the county's Children and Family Services agency. "It is not a
perfect system."

Lujan, who is unmarried, arrived at the hospital emergency room on Oct. 18.
Dr. Charles Moniak said he authorized her to receive Seconal, often used to
calm women in labor.

Lujan gave birth the next day. Later, a social worker came to her room and
told her Daniel had tested positive for drugs and she could not take him home.

Eventually, Lujan was forbidden to breast-feed Daniel or to be alone with
the boy or her other children, ages 2, 5 and 6. Her parents were given
temporary custody. Lujan was allowed to stay with the children at her
parents' home, but only if her mother or father were on hand for Daniel's
feedings.

She also had to take anti-drug classes and pass hair follicle and urine
tests, even though she continued to insist that she had not used drugs.

The doctor who prescribed the Seconal said he was not contacted "before
they took those babies away."

Court records indicate a social worker only learned from hospital records
on Jan. 19 that Lujan had been given Seconal.

Now Lujan is allowed to be alone with her children, but her case still is
being monitored by the county through July, and she and Daniel's father
must complete parenting classes.

Lujan said she is trying to put the episode behind her.

"I felt worthless, I felt like I meant nothing to nobody," she said. "Now I
feel like everything is back together."