Research circulated in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday found that a Texas law banning early gestation abortions is associated with an important rise in infant and newborn mortalities.
Texas Senate Bill 8 Bans Early Abortions
Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8), executed in September 2021, bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is noticeable, around five weeks, efficiently lessening the previous 22-week allowance.
The law does not give privileges for congenital anomalies, which can lead to a newborn's mortality shortly after birth.
The research evaluated Texas infant mortality rates from 2018 to 2022, analyzing them with those in 28 other states, concentrating on newborns up to 28 days old and infants up to 12 months. Texas saw about 13% raised in infant mortalities the year after SB8's legislation, from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022, while the national rate rose by about 2%.
Furthermore, congenital anomaly births in Texas rose by nearly 23%, in contrast to a roughly 3% decline nationwide.
"This indicates a causal effect of the policy; this increase in infant deaths wasn't observed in other states," said Alison Gemmill, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who led the study.
Some congenital anomalies can be cured after birth, while others are considered "incompatible with life."
Nan Strauss, senior policy analyst at the National Partnership for Women & Families, who wasn't involved in the study, stated, "The rise in deaths due to congenital anomalies strongly links the law change to adverse outcomes for infants and families." She noted the emotional toll on families enduring late pregnancy knowing their baby may not survive.
Gemmill emphasized the study's relevance for other states following Texas' lead after the Dobbs decision, which ended federal abortion protections and resulted in abortion bans in 14 states according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Gemmill suggested that this might foreshadow outcomes in other states. "Texas is essentially a year ahead."
Infant and Newborn Death Rates in US Rose in 2022
According to the CDC, infant and newborn mortality rates in the United States, demonstrated the first rise since 2001.
Dr. Mary Rosser of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who wasn't involved in the study, noted that such abortion bans could have unintentional results, especially influencing marginalized communities. Further study is needed to comprehend these effects fully.
The study's researchers also pointed out the broader effects of a newborn's death on families, including trauma and medical expenses.
Dr. Erika Werner, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts Medical Center, not involved in the research, emphasized that behind these statistics are real individuals, each carrying a pregnancy for an additional 20 weeks, aware it might not end in a live birth.
To establish a direct link between the Texas ban and increased infant mortality, Gemmill and colleagues analyzed death certificates from Texas and 28 other states from January 2018 to February 2022. Their statistical modeling estimated an additional 216 infant deaths attributable to Texas's six-week ban.
Gemmill plans further research into how the absence of Roe protections might affect births requiring extensive medical support.
Related Article: Texas Supreme Court Dismissed Challenge to State's Abortion Ban Concerning Pregnancy Complications
