Invisibility at Birth and Gaps in International Human Rights Law: The Role of the Medical Field in Advancing Newborn Rights

This thesis examines the recognition and protection of newborn rights within international human rights law, situating them within the broader framework of children’s rights. In the absence of a precise legal definition of “newborn,” it relies on the concept of early childhood (0–8 years) as developed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in its interpretation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Although children’s rights are well established in international law, newborns remain comparatively under-visible in normative frameworks. The thesis assesses this gap and the extent to which international law reflects the specific vulnerabilities of early life, with particular attention to the role of the medical field in advancing their recognition. Drawing on medical and developmental insights, it examines how medical actors contribute to shaping normative understandings of newborn rights.