Forced Adoption & Drugging Mothers — A War Crime?
Breaking the Silence
Forced adoption was not an act of kindness or necessity – it was a calculated and violent disruption of families. Whether through the removal of children from First Nations communities under assimilation policies or the forced adoption of same-race children through coercion, these actions were deliberate. Add to this the toxic drugs given to mothers during pregnancy and childbirth – sedatives to silence resistance and carcinogenic medications to dry up their milk – and the picture becomes clear: this was systemic, medicalized violence.
My Birth Mother’s Story
My mother’s experience reflects what many women endured during these practices:
”Darling, I was definitely given Diethylstilbestrol (DES) to dry up my milk. It is and was a known carcinogen. I’ve asked for my medical records twice now, and they say they have been (conveniently) ‘destroyed.’ I don’t know if that means purposely or ‘accidentally.’
The knock-out drugs are a whole other thing. I couldn’t even guess what they were. I know I was given one small white tablet and one small orange tablet, but I now know one of them would have been DES and the other some sort of sedation. I think the DES was the white tablet.
This was in 1972. I wonder if a pharmacist could help identify what the little orange one was. The problem is that very little in the way of statistics or information is available. No one is interested.”
Her story mirrors countless others, where medical interventions were weaponized to suppress resistance and enforce separation. DES, known today as a carcinogen, didn’t just harm the mothers who took it; it increased cancer risks for their children and grandchildren.
For me, this takes on an intergenerational and familial impact as my adoptive mother, who also lost her son to forced adoption, developed breast cancer, and my son developed brain cancer, which ironically my adoptive mother blamed me for both!
The Toxic Drugs Used on Mothers
Diethylstilbestrol (DES):
Administered to dry up breast milk, DES is now recognized as a carcinogen.
Health Impacts: Linked to breast, vaginal, and rare forms of cervical cancer in mothers and an increased risk of reproductive cancers, infertility, and developmental issues in their children and grandchildren.
Barbiturates:
Drugs like “Seconal/Secobarbital” and “Nembutal/Pentobarbital” were commonly used to sedate mothers during childbirth. These powerful central nervous system depressants cause confusion, sedation, and a lack of control.
Health Impacts: Long-term neurological effects, heightened risk of overdose, and potential harm to the developing fetus.
Twilight Sleep (Scopolamine-Morphine):
A combination of “scopolamine” (an amnesic drug) and “morphine” was used to induce a semi-conscious state. While mothers were awake, they often had no memory of the birth process.
Health Impacts: Scopolamine can cause delirium, hallucinations, and long-term confusion. Combined with morphine, it poses risks of respiratory depression for both mother and baby.
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine):
An early antipsychotic. It induced a tranquillizing effect but caused heavy sedation and disorientation.
Health Impacts: Neurological side effects, including tardive dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements), and developmental risks for the fetus.
Ergot Derivatives (e.g., Methylergometrine):
Used to manage bleeding post-delivery, these drugs were often administered without consent, leaving mothers further disoriented.
Health Impacts: Severe cramping, nausea, and long-term vascular complications.
Other Unknown Sedatives:
As in my mother’s case, many women were given unidentified pills or injections. These substances often left them semi-conscious or with no memory of the birth, erasing their ability to resist the separation process.
The Generational Impact
These drugs didn’t just harm the women who were forced to take them; they affected generations. Children born during these heavily medicated births often carry the physical and emotional scars of disrupted gestation, trauma at birth, and long-term health risks:
Increased Cancer Risks: From DES and other carcinogenic drugs.
Neurological Impacts: Developmental issues caused by exposure to sedatives in utero.
Pre-Verbal Trauma: The immediate separation, compounded by maternal sedation, left babies with a sense of profound disconnection and loss.
For mothers, the trauma of being sedated and robbed of their agency has led to lifelong grief, compounded by illnesses such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and unresolved mental health struggles.
How Forced Adoption Fits as a War Crime
Under international law, particularly the “Rome Statute”, forced child removal through coercion, violence, or systemic targeting is classified as a “crime against humanity” or “war crime” when conducted at scale.
The systemic use of toxic drugs to sedate and incapacitate mothers shows clear intent to enforce separation, making it a weapon of oppression. The destruction of medical records compounds this injustice, silencing the victims and denying them access to evidence of their experiences.
A Call for Justice
It’s time to confront forced adoption for what it truly is: a systemic crime that violated human rights.
What We Need:
- Access to Medical Records: Governments, hospitals, and institutions must release surviving records and end the cycle of denial.
- Medical Research: Studies into the full generational impacts of drugs like DES, barbiturates, and scopolamine.
- Transparency: Public acknowledgment of these practices and the harm caused to mothers, adoptees, and descendants.
- Accountability and Reparations: The institutions responsible must answer for the damage done and provide reparations to survivors and their families.
Standing Together
This isn’t just my story. It’s a story that belongs to thousands of mothers and adoptees whose lives were shaped by a system designed to erase them.
To my fellow adoptees and mothers: we must keep shouting. Keep asking the questions. Keep fighting for accountability.
I’ll be here in Bali, continuing this journey – documenting the drugs, gathering the evidence, and pushing for change. Together, we can break the silence and demand the justice we deserve.
Because we are still here, and we will not be erased.
#ForcedAdoptionIsACrime #GenerationalTrauma #DESAwareness #AdopteeJustice #MothersVoicesMatter #WarCrimes
