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The Preventionist - Ep. 1

Serial

2025/10/30
Serial

Serial

2025/10/30

Shownote

The story of how this extraordinary situation in the Lehigh Valley came to light — because it almost didn’t. Our newest podcast, “The Preventionist” is out now. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. To get full access to this and other Serial P...

Highlights

In the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, a quiet but devastating pattern has emerged—families losing custody of their children based on medical misjudgments masked as abuse. What began as isolated cases unraveled into a broader crisis, revealing deep flaws in how child welfare and healthcare systems intersect. This is the story of how one investigator uncovered a troubling trend that had gone unchecked for too long.
08:52
Doctors accused parents of Munchausen syndrome by proxy without proper evidence
15:03
An 18-month-old’s rib fractures were caused by osteogenesis imperfecta, not abuse
17:48
Mark found high rates of Munchausen by proxy diagnoses in Lehigh Valley child abuse cases
32:36
Parents lost custody due to uninvestigated hospital accusations
38:45
Commissioners gave a pre-canned response that didn't address families' concerns

Chapters

How a choking incident exposed a wave of unjust child removals
00:00
When doctors mistake illness for abuse—how misdiagnoses destroy families
12:04
The data behind the crisis—and why speaking up came at a cost
17:48
Breaking silence: releasing the truth despite fear and opposition
26:46
Families speak out—what happens when no one listens?
35:29
Can the system be fixed? Uncovering the roots of over-reporting
39:07

Transcript

Diane Neary: Hi, it's Alexa Weibel from New York Times Cooking. We've got tons of easy weeknight recipes, and today I'm making my five-ingredient creamy miso pasta. You just take your starchy pasta water, whisk it together with a little bit of miso and but...