Infant death rates found to be higher post-Roe
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Infant death rates were higher than expected for several months after the Supreme Court struck down the federal right to abortion, with most of the increase coming from infants with birth defects, researchers reported on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
Why it matters: It's the latest evidence suggesting infants born in states with more abortion restrictions are likelier to die before they're 1 year old.
- The new findings potentially indicate that frail fetuses were more often carried to term following the implementation of state abortion curbs, the Ohio State University epidemiologists wrote.
What they found: A review of infant mortality trends for the 18 months after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision concluded there were an average of 247 more deaths in October 2022, March 2023 and April 2023, corresponding to a 7% absolute increase in infant mortality.
- There was a 10% increase in infant mortality with birth defects, which can cover heart abnormalities, spina bifida and other disorders.
- Infant mortality wasn't lower than expected for any month after the Dobbs decision, in June 2022.
The findings track with earlier research showing a spike in infant deaths in Texas after the state in 2021 enacted a strict abortion ban with no exceptions for birth defects, the researchers wrote.
What they're saying: "This is evidence of a national ripple effect," lead author Parvati Singh told CNN. "Mortality is the ultimate outcome of any health condition. This is a very, very acute indicator. It could be representative of underlying morbidity and underlying hardship."
- A CNN investigative report spurred the earlier research on Texas' infant death rate.
Abortion is totally banned in 14 states, and eight states have bans at various times before the first 18 weeks of gestation.
- Many of the states that banned or severely limited abortion have limited access to health care, poor health outcomes and fewer safety net programs in place for mothers and children, Axios' Caitlin Owens previously reported.
