Texas Right to Life values and seeks to protect the lives of expecting mothers just as much as the lives of preborn children. While advancements in medical technology have greatly reduced the situations where both mother and child are at risk, on rare occasions, a woman’s pregnancy can put her life in jeopardy. In such emergencies, all attempts to save the lives of both mother and child should be pursued, including inducing labor.
Texas Right to Life has supported a narrow definition of the exception for abortion when the life of the mother is jeopardized by the pregnancy. Current law reflects this definition:
“Medical emergency” means a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that, as certified by a physician, places the woman in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function unless an abortion is performed.