News
US state rules that a viable fetus is a person
BMJ 1997; 315 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.315.7121.1485h (Published 06 December 1997) Cite this as: BMJ 1997;315:1485
- Norra Macready
- San Francisco
A viable fetus is a person and covered by state child abuse laws, the Supreme Court of South Carolina has stated, in a ruling that differs from that of every other US state that has addressed the issue.
Cornelia Whitner, now 33, pleaded guilty in 1992 to criminal child neglect because she gave birth to a son with traces of cocaine in his system. She was …