A new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers, published in JAMA Pediatrics, reveals that Texas’ 2021 abortion ban has significantly impacted the state’s infant mortality rate. The study compared infant deaths between 2021 and 2022, finding a 12.9% increase in Texas, from 1,985 deaths in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022, while the U.S. overall saw a 1.8% rise.
Texas’ stringent abortion law, effective from September 1, 2021, did not allow exceptions for congenital anomalies. The researchers focused on changes in infant deaths from March to December 2022, estimating 216 excess infant deaths in Texas during this period.
“These findings suggest that restrictive abortion policies may have important unintended consequences in terms of infant health and the associated trauma to families and medical costs,” said Alison Gemmill, a lead author and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins.
The study also noted a 22.9% increase in infant deaths due to congenital anomalies in Texas, compared to a 3.1% decrease in the rest of the U.S. Co-author Suzanne Bell highlighted that restrictive abortion policies might lead to higher infant mortality by limiting the ability to terminate pregnancies with fetal abnormalities diagnosed later.
This study comes amid numerous states enacting significant abortion restrictions following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that returned abortion lawmaking to states.
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
