Study links spike in infant deaths to Texas abortion ban
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Infant deaths surged 12.9% in Texas compared with 1.8% for the rest of the country after the state in 2021 enacted a strict abortion ban with no exceptions for birth defects, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.
Why it matters: The findings add to a body of evidence showing infants born in states with more abortion restrictions are likelier to die before they're 1 year old.
What they found: The analysis of monthly death certificate data showed that between 2021 and 2022 the number of infant deaths increased by 255, from 1,985 to 2,240.
- The state's infant mortality rate also increased by 8.3% over that time, compared with 2.2% for the rest of the U.S. — an indication that the rise in infant deaths wasn't entirely due to an increase in the number of births.
- Infant deaths attributed to congenital anomalies, or birth defects, rose 22.9% in Texas compared with a decrease of 3.1% for the rest of the country.
- The state also had significantly higher incidence of infant deaths attributed to unintentional injuries and to necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening condition that primarily affects premature infants.
Catch up quick: Texas' abortion law, known as Senate Bill 8, was the strictest state measure at the time, banning the procedure after a fetal heartbeat could be detected and allowing no exceptions for rape, incest or congenital anomalies.
- Preliminary infant mortality data obtained by CNN last year suggested the restrictions were fueling a spike in deaths as more women were forced to carry nonviable pregnancies to term.
- The law allowed exemptions when the life or health of the pregnant patient is at risk. But the provision has caused confusion among health providers and patients.
- The Texas Medical Board last week clarified that doctors don't need to wait until a condition is life threatening in order to perform an abortion, but it declined to provide specific guidance.
Between the lines: The study authors said their findings are relevant since other states enacted similar strict bans after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade that compel women to continue pregnancies or overcome significant hurdles to obtain abortion care out of state.
- "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, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and one of the lead authors.
- Previous research found that surgical costs alone associated with birth defects accounted for 41% of costs of first-year-of-life hospitalizations.
