Childbirth and the Law

This book deals with the following important legal questions related to childbirth. When a woman is pregnant, does the law have any part to play in protecting the fetus from harm? Should it intervene, for example, if she is taking illegal drugs or has, at the time of delivery, declined to accept medical advice? And how does---and should---the law respond when something goes wrong and the baby is born injured or disabled? Do damages claims provide outcomes, which are fair to the woman, her child, and the doctors, and midwives who have cared for them?