Case Explores Rights of Fetus Versus Mother, Erik Eckholm (2013)

The article presents the case of a pregnant woman who was arrested and forced to go to a treatment center after admitting during a prenatal checkup to have had a pill addiction.

In some states, the law allows child-welfare authorities to detain, arrest or forcibly treat pregnant women who use illegal drugs or alcohol, with low-income and minority women being affected disproportionately. Consequently, they are deterred from using prenatal care, thus increasing the negative impact of illegal drug use on the newborns.

Citation: Erik Eckholm, 'Case Explores Rights of Fetus Versus Mother', The New York Times (2013)

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