Too often, neither biological parent cares beyond parenthoods convenience (or lack thereof.) Yet legally mitigating that presents all the cited problems plus others, and, since we cannot yet prove the answer, the question of the precise moment a person becomes a person is definitely among them. All we know with certainty is a person is a person well before a doctor cuts the cord, but deadbeat dads can still press women for abortions and unwilling moms can still seek and obtain them despite any or all mens protests. In this case, possession is ALL tenths of the law, and likely will remain so indefinitely.

There is a song moondog likes to quote called "Friend of the Fetus," satirizing conservatives commonly being equally and absolutely committed to the UNborn yet indifferent to the BORN. The point is quite valid and, well, "pointed," but does it not cut both ways? Caring about children certainly should not end at birth, but it should not begin there either. We have all kinds of prenatal aids and protections; even a nation with as much disdain for public healthcare as America insists on PRENATAL public healthcare whenever needed, and laws prosecuting mothers for bearing "crackbabies" are common in many countries. It is curious much of society sanctions deliberately doing the very thing it goes to such lengths to prevent carelessly doing.

I concede some of that is unique to America (although, Dannymacs OP concerned parenthood in the South.)