Zijlstra Annick, Bruning Mariëlle R, van Nieuwenhuijzen Maroesjka, de Castro Bram O
Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Child Law, Leiden Law University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
J Soc Welf Fam Law. 2025 Jul 21:1-22. doi: 10.1080/09649069.2025.2530879.
This paper presents a comparative analysis of the availability of pre-birth protection orders in cases of imminent harm to the unborn child due to high-risk parenting in the Netherlands and other Western countries. Using a standardised questionnaire sent to legal experts in 14 countries, the study evaluates the legal frameworks for such orders. Findings indicate that in most countries, pre-birth protection orders are unavailable, though some offer voluntary pre-birth protection proceedings or only prenatal care and support. Pre-birth protection orders are legally available in New Zealand and Norway. However, unlike the Netherlands, these countries have specific legislation allowing such orders, and pre-birth protection orders are rarely used. The study highlights the ethical and legal challenges of mandatory protection measures, emphasising the need for a balanced approach that respects the rights of both the mother and the unborn child. Recommendations include improving the accessibility and quality of voluntary care, and if pre-birth protection orders are available, this needs an explicit legal basis since this implies an infringement of the fundamental rights of women. This research provides a comparative legal analysis, underscoring the necessity for ongoing evaluation of these measures' effectiveness and ethical implications.
本文对荷兰和其他西方国家中因高危育儿而可能对未出生胎儿造成紧迫伤害的情况下，产前保护令的可得性进行了比较分析。该研究通过向14个国家的法律专家发送标准化问卷，评估了此类命令的法律框架。研究结果表明，在大多数国家，产前保护令不可用，尽管有些国家提供自愿的产前保护程序，或仅提供产前护理和支持。在新西兰和挪威，产前保护令在法律上是可用的。然而，与荷兰不同的是，这些国家有允许此类命令的具体立法，且产前保护令很少被使用。该研究突出了强制性保护措施在伦理和法律方面的挑战，强调需要采取一种平衡的方法，既要尊重母亲的权利，也要尊重未出生胎儿的权利。建议包括提高自愿护理的可及性和质量，如果有产前保护令，这需要有明确的法律依据，因为这意味着侵犯了妇女的基本权利。这项研究提供了一项比较法律分析，强调了持续评估这些措施的有效性和伦理影响的必要性。
