The lack of legal status for an unborn child means, if there are concerns about risk of harm once the child is born, that practitioners should try and engage with the parents and family pre-birth in a timely and meaningful manner. This means:
For further information see:
Critchley A, (2018) Pre-birth child protection (Accessed 12/8/2019)
Lushey et al., (2018) Assessing parental capacity when there are concerns about an unborn child: pre-birth assessment guidance and practice in England. (2018) Child Abuse Review vol 27 pp97-107.