In August of 2014, Casey Shehi gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Gadsden regional medical center. But a few days later, she was later arrested for chemical engagement of a child. She was confused at first, until she remembered she took two anti-anxiety pills during her pregnancy.
It’s part of a growing trend. In the last few years, authorities have aggressively prosecuted women for prenatal drug use. A joint investigation between ProPublica and AL.com found that Alabama prosecutes more pregnant and new mothers for this than any other state. Al.com's Amy Yurkanin reported the story with ProPublica’s Nina Martin. She tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley how this all started.