The Washington Act provides specific protection for the civil rights of pregnant workers. These safeguards apply to pregnancy and health problems related to an employee`s pregnancy, which include health problems during pregnancy and after the baby is born, such as the need to breastfeed or express milk. If a pregnant employee works for an employer of 15 or more employees, the employer is required to provide the employee with the following reasonable accommodations: the value of providing adequate information about health behaviours is undeniable, as is a strong public health commitment to ensuring access to alcohol treatment and services that could harm a woman. their fetus or family. The challenge is to ensure that health promotion does not unknowingly turn into the types of enforcement actions that, in turn, could discourage pregnant women from providing the medical services they need. Applying for life insurance during pregnancy is no different than applying for it at any other time. As with any other claimant, you will be asked to answer questions about your health and lifestyle, but an insurer cannot decide that pregnancy alone is a reason to increase premiums or deny coverage. All of these laws may be based on concepts of health protection, and one could assume that the emphasis on infant outcome reporting reflects a non-punitive approach to mothers. Nevertheless, a history of punitive measures against women who use alcohol or other substances during pregnancy has been documented. The National Association for Pregnant Women (NAPW) identified 413 cases between 1973 and 2005 in which women were arrested, imprisoned, or subjected to forced medical procedures for behavior during pregnancy. This figure is probably a significant sub-number, as many cases are not published. Allegations of illicit drug use were made in 84% of identified cases, and 12% also included reports of alcohol use.
In 16 per cent of cases, no illicit drug use was alleged, but women were deprived of their liberty due to factors such as alcohol consumption, lack of antenatal care or refusal of a recommended caesarean section. In two thirds of the cases, no actual negative pregnancy outcome was found; In cases where harm was reported, causal evidence linking the woman`s behaviour to the outcome was often weak or absent. The study also found numerous examples of decisions made by judicial and law enforcement agencies that applied unscientific risk terms. Overall, 86% of the women in the sample were charged with a crime and 51% with child abuse or neglect.34 Having a new baby means you have greater financial responsibilities – from child care expenses to clothing and diapers – so you may find that your previous life insurance coverage is not enough for your needs. which you may want to check. On the plus side, you may be able to increase your coverage after your baby is born or legally adopted. You can check your policy documents to see if this is an option. Deadlines and terms and conditions apply. Learn more about changes to your life insurance. There are two major discrepancies between the CDC`s supposedly neutral medical advice and the punitive and often non-evidence-based manner in which criminal and civil penalties have been imposed on pregnant women. First, the standards and language of scientific evidence are not the same as those of the law. While the CDC determines that there is no known level of safe alcohol consumption during pregnancy, the scientific significance is that studies have not identified a conclusive safety threshold.
However, from the perspective of a law enforcement officer or zealous prosecutor, “no known level of security” could lead to the conclusion that all alcohol consumption warrants punishment. If you are pregnant and expecting a baby, you can be sure that the life insurance application will be no different than at any other time. Your premiums will not be affected by your pregnancy. For more information, check out our guide to life insurance if you`re pregnant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended in February 2016 that women of childbearing age avoid alcohol altogether when pregnant, trying to conceive, or could become pregnant.1 The agency`s recommendations are linked to public health concerns about the harmful effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD),2 but the announcement has sparked controversy. Some critics of the recommendations argue that the recommendations exaggerate the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy.3 What has not entered the public debate is the impact of the recommendations on the treatment of women during pregnancy in the legal system.