A Texas law banning most abortions has been linked to a sharp rise in infant and newborn deaths, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Passed in September 2021, Senate Bill 8 (SB8) bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, around five weeks, effectively ending access to abortion in the state. The law also lacks exemptions for severe congenital anomalies, including conditions where a newborn is unlikely to survive.
The study compared infant death rates in Texas from 2018 to 2022 with those in 28 other states. Infant deaths in Texas rose by nearly 13% from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022. Nationwide, deaths rose by about 2%. Deaths of babies born with congenital anomalies in Texas also increased by nearly 23%, while the rate decreased by 3% across other states.
“This points to a causal effect of the policy,” said Alison Gemmill, the study’s lead researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The study highlights the painful impact on families of babies born with conditions “incompatible with life.” Nan Strauss of the National Partnership for Women & Families noted that these families endure difficult pregnancies, knowing their babies will likely die shortly after birth.
Gemmill warned that the study’s findings may signal similar outcomes in other states with abortion bans. Since SB8 passed, 14 states have enacted total abortion bans, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
A recent CDC report revealed that infant mortality rates in the U.S. rose in 2022 for the first time in over two decades. Dr. Mary Rosser of Columbia University stressed that abortion bans disproportionately affect marginalized communities and urged further research on their effects.
The study also emphasized the emotional and financial toll on families, with medical bills and trauma adding to the burden. “Behind these numbers are people,” said Dr. Erika Werner of Tufts Medical Center.
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