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Warning
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Simple English definitions for legal terms
birth
Read a random definition: labor lien
A quick definition of birth:
Birth is when a baby comes out of their mother's body. This is when they are born. In some places, if a baby is stillborn because their mother used drugs while pregnant, the mother can be charged with a crime. For things like inheriting property or becoming a parent, being born means the baby has come out of their mother's body completely. The baby doesn't have to be alive when they are born, but they have to have been alive at some point while they were still inside their mother.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: The process of a newborn baby being completely delivered from the mother's body.
Traditionally, the legal view of birth is that it occurs when the baby is fully delivered from the mother's body. This means that if only a foot or part of the baby is delivered, it is not considered a birth. However, in some places, the law is changing. For example, in South Carolina, a woman can be convicted of fetal murder if her baby is stillborn due to her prenatal drug abuse.
Here is an example to illustrate the definition:
When a pregnant woman goes into labor, the baby begins to move down the birth canal. Once the baby's head and body are fully delivered from the mother's body, the birth is considered complete.