Alabama clinics stop IVF care after court ruling

What happened?

At least two of Alabama's eight in vitro fertilization clinics, including the state's largest hospital, paused IVF treatments Wednesday after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same legal protections as children.

Who said what?

Last week's ruling "impacts all Alabamians and will likely lead to fewer babies — children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins — as fertility options become limited," the Medical Association of the State of Alabama said Wednesday. "Embryos, to me, are babies," Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told NBC News.

The commentary

The Alabama Supreme Court's "absurd and unscientific" Bible-quoting ruling is a clear sign "this country is sliding toward theocracy," Charles Blow said at The New York Times. A fertilized blastocyst actually may be "a baby in the eye of the beholder," Monica Hesse said at The Washington Post. IVF is hard, and prospective parents need hope, but "trying to provide legal protection and personhood to fantasies" is "wholly inappropriate for the legal system."

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What next?

IVF doctors are considering petitioning the Alabama Supreme Court to reconsider, asking the state Legislature to intervene, or seeking review at the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.