"At least 412 pregnant women were charged with child abuse, neglect or other crimes related to pregnancy or pregnancy loss in the two years after the Supreme Court overturned the national right to abortion, the advocacy group Pregnancy Justice found. That's compared with an average of about 85 cases annually in the 16 years leading up to the June 2022 decision, though cases ranged from 29 to 158 per year over that period."
"In about 67% of the child abuse cases brought nationwide, substance use during pregnancy was the only charge. Prosecutors did not have to prove the fetus was harmed by the defendant in order to secure a conviction in more than 85% of the alleged crimes. More than 3 in 4 defendants were low-income, as indicated based on their use of a court-appointed counsel or means-tested benefits like Medicaid."
At least 412 pregnant women faced charges for child abuse, neglect, or other pregnancy-related crimes in the two years following the June 2022 Supreme Court decision, compared with an average of about 85 cases annually in the prior 16 years. The ruling strengthened personhood laws and enabled prosecutions tied to abortion pills and miscarriages, though only nine cases explicitly mentioned abortion from 2022–2024. The majority of cases were concentrated in Oklahoma and Alabama. About 67% of child abuse cases involved only substance use during pregnancy. Prosecutors did not need to prove fetal harm in over 85% of alleged crimes, and more than three-quarters of defendants were low-income.
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