Since abortion is murder, is smoking or drinking while pregnant child abuse?

Question

What about having a child with a genetic disorder? Or giving birth when you have HIV, thus possibly giving the virus to the child? Where is the line to be drawn?

Answer 1

I have wondered the same things. If a pregnant woman is careless enough to fall down and damages her fetus, is it abuse? If she eats too much, doesn't eat balanced meals, or eats a lot of preservatives, sugar, or chemicals in her food, is it abuse? What if she walks to work in a city knowing that she is breathing the pollution of exhaust fumes the entire time? Does talking on a cell phone and other electronics harm the fetus? If a diabetic gets pregnant is it abuse if the child gets diabetes? What about a person who knows they have impaired sight or hearing? Different OTC drugs like Ibuprofen can cause birth defects---what if the woman took these before finding out she was pregnant? What if she accidentally rear-ends another car causing herself to miscarry? Would it matter whether or not she knew of her pregnancy?

Where do I draw the line? A fetus is a potential human being, it is not a human being.

Answer 2

Excellent question. Some people do believe that smoking and drinking while pregnant could be considered abuse. As for having a child with a genetic disorder, that just happens. It's not fair to lump a child with a disorder (if the mother looked after herself during the pregnancy) with smoking or drinking during pregnancy. As for HIV, that's a hard call. The child will be behind the 8 ball from the start.
I, personally, don't think it's a great idea to smoke or drink while pregnant. It could cause problems with the fetus. I do know many mothers who smoked and drank while pregnant, and the children seem to be fine. I also know a mother who smoked a lot during her 4 pregnancies, and one of her children has a disorder. It may be from the smoking, or it may not. I'm not a doctor, so I don't know. It's just not healthy for the mother or the fetus.

Answer 3

Yeah it's child abuse, except for the part of when the child has a genetic disorder, since that is not known to parents ahead of time. I work with babies and what goes on after they are born when they are prenatally drug exposed is horrible and painful to them. Luckily the parents lose their children at birth when this happens and goes through programming that takes at least a year before they can get them back. As far as the HIV situation, these children are supposed to be born by C-section at what they call "a bloodless birth" to help prevent the baby from getting affected. They are put on a regiment of drugs and most are fine fine and do not contact the HIV virus.

Answer 4

Yes, and it is so un-fair to the innocent child. The line is drawn when these women stop doing what their doing and give the fetus special love and care. Once the egg is planted , and if the Mother doesn't take care of her little Soul inside of her, then she should be charged with neglect and abuse. This group of women think only of themselves. Don't worry, the Doctors can tell , which woman is selfish in her lifestyle. Most women like this do have abortions, so the charges are more severe. They just don't get it. Animals take better care of their young, then some Humans.

Answer 5

Smoking and drinking while pregnant should be considered child abuse, since we don't know how much is too much for a baby. HIV is entirely different, really that person shouldn't have had sex in the first place. It's like a genetic disorder, since you can't really prevent it.

Answer 6

Genetic Disorder is unpredictable. There is no natural way to make sure 100% your kid will be born normal.

Smoking and Drinking while pregnant are child abuse. If you get purposely pregnant while you have HIV, that should be considered abuse. If you accidently obtain HIV afterwards, that is an unfortunate incident.

Answer 7

Why is it when a child is wanted it is a baby but when it is not it is an embryo or a fetus? Abortion is murder and there is no other way to describe it. It drives me crazy when people think like that. Child abuse is intended--(smoking or drinking) the situations you are describing though is not intended. I think it is something along the lines of differences between murder or manslaughter. They are bad but, they were not intended to hurt the baby.

Answer 8

anyone who gives birth taking the anti virus cocktail does not pass the virus onto their child, so this would not be child abuse, a genetic disorder? how is this child abuse, most children with genetic disorders are very happy children. Smoking and drinking? absolutley child abuse.!

Answer 9

I am atheist. This is proof, from the Bible itself, that abortion is NOT murder. Lets see how many thumbs down I can get this time


Out of more than 600 laws of Moses, none comments on abortion. One Mosaic law about
miscarriage specifically contradicts the claim that the bible is antiabortion, clearly
stating that miscarriage does not involve the death of a human being. If a woman has a
miscarriage as the result of a fight, the man who caused it should be fined.
If the woman dies, however, the culprit must be killed:

"If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her,
and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished according as the woman's husband
will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

"And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for
tooth . . ."--Ex. 21:22-25

The bible orders the death penalty for murder of a human being, but not for the expulsion
of a fetus.

Answer 10

With the exception of a genetic disorder, all of this is child abuse.