Precarious Moorings: Tying Fetal Drug Law Policy to Social Profiling

Abstract:     
Legislative efforts to reduce the incidence of babies born low-birth weight is tangled in race and class profiling, which detracts from an evidence-based approach to reduce fetal health harm. On inspection, prescription drug use, domestic violence, and assisted reproductive technology measure significantly in the incidence of fetal health harm and the dramatic rise in neonatology treatments and costs. Goodwin’s article provides an empirical counter narrative to the provocative legislative assumptions about fetal health harm.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 37

Keywords: fetal health harm, crime, motherhood, abortion, pregnancy, legislation, fetus, medicine, drug policy, war on drugs, disability, addiction, race, sex, gender, assisted reproduction

JEL Classification: I10, I12, I18, I31, J7, J71, J78, K14, K32, K42

working papers series