In a Post-Dobbs World, Pathologists Who Study Pregnancy Loss Walk a Thin Line Between Medicine and the Law

January 19, 2023

(STAT News) – But pathologists with perinatal expertise are increasingly worried about the pressure they face to produce definitive cause of death determinations from law enforcement officials. Police and prosecuting attorneys have always had an interest in investigating pregnancy loss — acting on the suspicion that some miscarriages and stillbirths are intentionally caused by, or otherwise the fault of, the mother. Between 1973 and 2020, there have been more than 1,700 cases of arrests, detentions, and “equivalent deprivations of personal liberty” of pregnant people, according to the nonprofit Pregnancy Justice. In a post-Roe era, legal experts worry similar cases may gain more traction going forward. (Read More)