Pregnancy Loss

WHAT WE DO

Pregnancy Justice defends pregnant people and people who experience pregnancy loss.

Pregnancy Justice is the leading organization providing pro bono (free) legal assistance to pregnant people who have been charged with a crime because they experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, or gave birth to a baby who did not survive.

No matter what a pregnant person does, 15 to 20 percent of all pregnancies (or approximately 1 million a year in the U.S.) will end in a miscarriage or stillbirth. A small percentage of pregnant people also give birth to babies who do not survive their first 28 days of life.

People who had every hope of continuing their pregnancy to term have been subjected to police investigations and arrests based on the claim that they “really” had an abortion, that they did or did not do something that caused the pregnancy loss, or because they did not know what to do after such a loss, including not knowing how to dispose of fetal remains.

Pregnancy Justice has played a major role in helping to get charges dropped and convictions overturned in numerous cases involving charges of feticide, manslaughter, “depraved heart” homicide and homicide by child abuse.

Pregnancy Justice believes that no person should fear arrest or be subjected to government control or retribution as a result of pregnancy or any outcome of pregnancy. Call us or have your lawyer reach us at 212-255-9252.

The issue of pregnancy loss is in fact interconnected with the all of the other issues Pregnancy Justice addresses and all of Pregnancy Justice's work reflects this.

WHAT YOU
Need to Know

10-10 %

For people who know they’re pregnant, 10-20% pregnancies end in miscarriage. Estimates are as high as 31% to 50% when including people who miscarry before knowing they are pregnant.

25-25 %

Physicians can't determine the cause of 25-65% of all stillbirths. It’s often impossible to distinguish pregnancy loss from an abortion.

Fact

Prosecuting people for experiencing stillbirth is cruel, inhumane, ignores root causes of poor pregnancy outcomes and perinatal loss, and discourages those who need prenatal care most.

Pregnancy Justice's Work: Pregnancy Loss

READ MORE

Confronting Pregnancy Criminalization: A Practical Guide for Healthcare Providers, Lawyers, Medical Examiners, Child Welfare Workers, and Policymakers

For decades, pregnant people across America have been subjected to criminalization and deprivations of liberty on the basis of pregnancy or pregnancy ...

With Roe in the Balance, Pregnancy Justice Launches Multidisciplinary Confronting Pregnancy Criminalization Guide for Medical, Legal, Child Welfare, and Policy Professionals

June 23, 2022

As we await the anticipated fall of Roe and the subsequent loss of the constitutionally protected right to abortion, Pregnancy Justice ...