By:- Team VOH
25 Jun 2024
A study published Monday reveals that Texas' infant mortality rate increased by 8% following the state's abortion ban, with a notable rise in deaths due to birth defects. The analysis from Johns Hopkins University is the latest to highlight higher infant mortality rates in states with stringent abortion restrictions.
Researchers examined the number of infant deaths before their first birthday after Texas implemented its abortion ban in September 2021. Comparing Texas to 28 other states, some with similar restrictions, they found an additional 216 infant deaths in Texas than expected between March and December of the following year.
In 2022, Texas saw its infant mortality rate rise to 5.75 per 1,000 births, an 8% increase, compared to a 2% increase in the rest of the U.S., according to the study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Birth defects in Texas increased by 23%, while the rest of the U.S. saw a 3% decrease. The Texas law bans abortions after detecting cardiac activity, typically at five or six weeks of pregnancy, before fetal abnormalities can be diagnosed.
"I think these findings make clear the potentially devastating consequences that abortion bans can have," said co-author Suzanne Bell, a fertility researcher.
Doctors have criticized the law for being overly restrictive for women facing pregnancy complications. However, last month, the state's Supreme Court upheld the law, rejecting a case that sought to weaken it.
Infant deaths are relatively rare, Bell noted, which made the findings somewhat surprising. Due to the small numbers, the researchers could not determine if certain races or socioeconomic groups were more affected.
Tiffany Green, a University of Wisconsin-Madison economist and population health scientist who studies racial inequities in reproductive health, was not surprised by the results. She said the findings align with previous research on racial disparities in infant mortality rates due to state differences in Medicaid funding for abortions. Many people seeking abortions are vulnerable to pregnancy complications, Green added.
Stephen Chasen, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with Weill Cornell Medicine, emphasized that abortion restrictions have broader implications. Chasen, who was not involved in the study, noted that those carrying pregnancies with fetal anomalies require additional support, education, and specialized medical care for both the mother and newborn, all of which necessitate substantial resources.
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