Green Co. targets moms who used meth

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Springfield mother whose daughter was born with methamphetamine in her system has been charged with child endangerment in what could be the first of many such cases in Greene County.

Greene County assistant prosecutor Jill Patterson said the office plans to begin targeting mothers who use illegal drugs shortly before giving birth.

The prosecutions started with Sarah A. Weese, 19, who was charged Tuesday with one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The felony carries a possible sentence of up to seven years in prison.

According to the probable cause statement, Weese and her newborn daughter tested positive for methamphetamine after the child's birth in May at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Patterson said the new policy, which is the result of conversations and "brainstorming" with pediatricians and police, is aimed at mothers who use cocaine or meth because those drugs pose the most significant risks to newborns.

But Patterson said she hasn't ruled out filing charges in cases that involve marijuana or other drugs.

"There has to be a pretty clear relationship between the risks [posed by the mother's behavior] and the effects on the child," she said.

"If you're using meth close to birth, there are very immediate risks," she said.

Patterson said officers won't be looking at tests taken as part of prenatal care because they don't want to discourage such care.

As part of the enforcement effort, Patterson said she has been working with police to establish a system that would initiate a police response when a new mother tests positive for drugs.