In 2013, the Journal of Public Health Law and Policy published National Advocates for Pregnant Women (“NAPW”) peer-reviewed study documenting arrests, detentions, and equivalent deprivations of physical liberty of women between 1973 and 2005 in which being pregnant was a necessary element of the crime or a “but for” reason for the coercive or punitive action taken.
Arrests and Prosecutions of Pregnant Women, 1973-2020
Pregnancies and Pregnancy Outcomes in the United States
A summary of data on pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes in the United States including statistics on births, miscarriages, and abortions.
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Pregnancy and Drug Use
Carefully constructed, unbiased scientific research has not found that prenatal exposure to any criminalized drugs cause specific or unique harms. While there are numerous studies reporting findings that certain substances may increase a particular risk of harm, such as [lower birth weight], research has not found that any criminalized substances are abortifacients, cause miscarriages or stillbirths, or cause specific harms or impairments to the children prenatally exposed.
Medical and Public Health Group Statements Opposing Prosecution and Punishment of Pregnant Women
Every leading medical and public health organization to address the issue of pregnant women and drug use has taken a position opposing punitive approaches as dangerous to maternal, fetal and child health. Please read the information below or download this fact sheet providing summaries of and citations to these statements.
Understanding CAPTA and State Obligations
Read NAPW’s fact sheet “Understanding CAPTA and State Obligations” for information on the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and what it does and does not require.
What We Can Learn From Hospital Restrictions on Birth Support During the Coronavirus Pandemic
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
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The coronavirus pandemic, and our country’s lack of preparedness for it, give us an opportunity to make important observations and learn (or relearn) key lessons.
NAPW FACT SHEET: The Dangerous Litigation That Sells Out Science and Hurts Women and Babies
In the context of the nationwide litigation seeking to hold pharmaceutical companies liable for the over- prescription of opioids in the U.S., a team of private lawyers is seeking court approval to separately represent the interests of children born to women who used opioids during pregnancy.
Clinical Drug Testing of Pregnant Women and Newborns
April 17, 2019
Pregnant and postpartum women and their newborn babies are typically drug tested in medical settings without their knowledge or explicit, informed consent. Positive toxicology results are too often reported to government officials and used to support criminal and civil child abuse or neglect prosecutions.
Broadening the Conversation About and Celebration of New York’s Reproductive Health Act
February 21, 2019
Broadening the Conversation About and Celebration of New York’s Reproductive Health Act (RHA)• The RHA protects and values all women – including those who support abortion rights, those who profoundly oppose them, and everyone in between.
Understanding Opioid Use During Pregnancy
Opioid use and dependency among pregnant women in the United States has increasingly been the subject of new state laws and policies. Unfortunately, this has not led to increased funding for treatment, and misinformation has resulted in harmful policy decisions.
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