In some parts of the USA, drug use while going through pregnancy has been declared illegal, but the question is who else will be following this law? The reason behind the implementation of this law is because of Regina McKnight, who was convicted in 2001 for homicide. McKnight took crack cocaine while she was pregnant, which caused her to give birth to a stillborn. Mothers who take drugs would require urgent care clinics to be around because there is no telling what other effect this act could cause.
Looking at the Downside: The Problems of the Law
Some experts believe that the law has a lot of external factors, which could be the cause of a lot of complications. Many argue that if taking drugs during pregnancy is illegal, then so should abortion and heavy drinking. There is also the argument that the woman could be unaware that she is pregnant. Also, in the laws of the UK, it says that a fetus does not have personhood. This makes a prosecution close to impossible, unless a change in legislation takes place. To cut the discussion short, the law has so much room for errors. Because of this, a lot of states and even countries are still thinking twice if they should allow this law, which could lessen the need for an urgent care clinic.
Recent Cases
In 2010, a little girl aged six filed a compensation case against her mom. She was diagnosed when she was born with a disorder called fetal alcohol spectrum, which is collection of birth defects that is caused by pregnant mothers who drank alcohol during this period. The court named the child a violence victim. She also pursued a grievous bodily harm claim because the mother put the kid’s life in a lot of danger. This act of the mother caused the child to require urgent care, which was not given to her. The girl now lives in foster care.
Although this sounds like a sure case for the girl, higher court did not find any claim because the injury happened when the little girl was not, in legal terms, a “real person”. Because of this, the case was brought to the Court of Appeal. The foster parents of the child stated that they are not interested in jailing the mother. What they want is for the mother to give them compensation so they will be able to cover the costs of taking care of the disabled child, especially when in case they need to ask “where is an urgent care near me?”
