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Though the number of court-ordered cesareans（剖腹产）is small, each one symbolizes a disturbing trend— the encroachment on the rights of the pregnant woman; the view of her as the “jar” or “container” of the next generation. In Wisconsin, for example, a sixteen-year-old pregnant girl was held in detention for her “lack [of] motivation or ability to seek prenatal care.” In Michigan and Illinois, courts have permitted the child to sue its mother for damaging it during pregnancy. And, in a number of states, legislation has been introduced to expand the law on child abuse to cover the fetus. This would permit after-the-fact prosecution of women who do anything during pregnancy (smoke, drink, use drugs, refuse treatment) that damages the offspring.
Public support for measures of this kind is surprisingly strong. A recent Gallup poll found that almost half of those surveyed agreed that a woman should be legally liable for damaging her child by drinking or smoking during pregnancy. People were about equally split on whether a woman should be held liable for refusing a cesarean.
Doctors are no more in agreement than the general public. The reason for the dissension is that our technological prowess has leapt ahead of our ethical and legal thinking. In the past, obstetricians had one patient: the mother. But new technology has opened up a much greater window on what ’s going on with the fetus throughout gestation.
But the interests of the fetus are sometimes in conflict with the interests or desires of the mother—if a mother disagrees with medical advice or is reckless about how her actions affect the unborn child. In these cases, who is to defend the “right” of the fetus?
Today, the question is whether our new understanding of gestation creates a need for special legislation to protect the interests of the fetus. The legions of infants born deformed mentally retarded, or addicted to drugs are a burden to society as a whole as well as the individual parent...
What is the issue being discussed in this passage?
The legal rights of fetus and responsibilities of pregnant woman to care for the fetus.
According to the tone of the writer, whose rights should the law protect? Please cite evidence in the essay to support your view.
The pregnant woman and the fetus. In the first paragraph the author said about the woman being seen as jar or container of the next generation, which leads them to a dilemma; and in the last paragraph the author asked whether our new understanding of gestation creates a need for special legislation to protect the interests of the fetus, which points out the necessity of related legislation.
What do “measures of this kind” refer to? Do you agree to the view that “Public support for measures of this kind is surprisingly strong”? Please support your view with the evidence from this essay
Measures of women who do anything during pregnancy (smoke, drink, use drugs, refuse treatment) that damages the offspring. I agree with that. The evidences are that more and more court cases give pregnant woman responsibilities on that kind of behavior and there is increasing heated discussion on legislation.