Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have revealed in a recent study that the 2021 abortion ban in Texas has had a severe impact on the state’s infant mortality rate.
Their findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday.
They conducted a comparison of infant mortality rates between 2021 and 2022, discovering a rise in infant deaths in Texas from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022. This represented a 12.9% increase in infant deaths, while the overall U.S. experienced only a 1.8% increase.
Texas implemented a stringent abortion law on Sept. 1, 2021, more than 10 months before Roe V. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. The law did not provide exceptions for congenital anomalies, as noted by the researchers.
The researchers specifically focused on changes in infant deaths from March to December 2022, encompassing the first pregnancies affected by the new law. They estimated that there were 216 excess infant deaths in Texas during that period.
Alison Gemmill, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University and one of the lead authors of the study, highlighted the relevance of their findings in light of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision in June 2022. She emphasized the unintended consequences of restrictive abortion policies on infant health, families, and medical costs.
The study also pointed out a 22.9% increase in infant deaths related to congenital anomalies in Texas between 2021 and 2022, while the rest of the U.S. saw a 3.1% decrease.
Suzanne Bell, another lead author of the study and an assistant professor at JHU, stated that the findings indicate how restrictive abortion policies can lead to higher infant mortality rates, particularly for pregnancies with fetal abnormalities diagnosed later.
Following a 2022 decision that ended the nationwide access to abortion before fetal viability, many states have imposed significant restrictions on abortion access.
Related Stories:
Texas woman who left state for ’emergency’ abortion is pregnant again
Citizens in half of states can’t force ballot measures on abortion