Mercury_Maniac,

Valid point. Taking it a step further, women who smoke during pregnancy usually deliver smaller babies, and there are more medical issues with these infants than with those borne to women who don’t smoke. Should they be prevented from doing so? If so, when?

As one with libertarian tendencies, I’d say that falls outside the scope of the traditional liberal government. But then what constitutes sufficient danger to the foetus to justify intervention?

In the thread “Insane, or did she know what she was doing?”, Lilith raises the question of why the spouses and or families of these women are held blameless? The particulars in that thread dealt with a woman who acted out a killing, but how much difference is there between that and the accused in this case, who willfully ignored medical advice that her inaction was endangering her twins? Also in that thread, maddy alludes to the responsibility of being a parent, and whether those who are not up to the task should necessarily be entitled to breed.

Also in that thread, Lilith points out that a teacher can be found negligent for failing to report abuse. Would this woman’s behavior constitute abuse? Should the State force the hands of the medical practitioners this way?

Tough questions. Real issues.

__________________
Eudaimonia