Infant deaths after Texas’ 2021 ban on abortion in early pregnancy

About The Study: This study found that Texas’ 2021 ban on abortion in early pregnancy was associated with unexpected increases in infant and neonatal deaths in Texas between 2021 and 2022. Congenital anomalies, which are the leading cause of infant death, also increased in Texas but not the rest of the U.S. Although replication and further analyses are needed to understand the mechanisms behind these findings, the results suggest that restrictive abortion policies may have important unintended consequences in terms of trauma to families and medical cost as a result of increases in infant mortality. These findings are particularly relevant given the recent Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization U.S. Supreme Court decision and subsequent rollbacks of reproductive rights in many U.S. states.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Alison Gemmill, Ph.D., email agemmill@jhu.edu.

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(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.0885)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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