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A new study has connected the Texas six-week abortion ban, enacted in 2021 and backed by the state’s GOP supporters, to a significant increase in infant mortality rates. The study, released in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was published on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.
According to the research, the Texas ban was associated with a notable uptick in infant and neonatal deaths in 2022, contradicting the GOP’s argument that such bans protect life. Instead, the findings suggest adverse impacts on infant health due to abortion restrictions.
From 2021 to 2022, infant deaths in Texas rose by 12.9%, from 1,985 to 2,240. This contrasted sharply with the rest of the country, which saw only a 1.8% increase. A similar pattern was noted among newborns in their first 28 days of life.
A significant proportion of the recorded deaths were linked to congenital abnormalities in infants, a common reason for opting to terminate pregnancies. The study disclosed a 22.9% increase in such cases, compared to just 3.1% in the rest of the country.
The study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins and Michigan State University, stressed the need for further analysis but implied that restrictive abortion policies could lead to unintended consequences including increased infant mortality, trauma to families, and higher medical costs.
The study period (March to December 2022) coincided with the Texas six-week ban being the most stringent abortion law in the nation, despite existing protections granted by Roe v. Wade. With the Supreme Court’s subsequent overturning of this ruling, 14 states, including Texas, have fully outlawed the procedure during all stages of pregnancy.
Neither Texas Governor Greg Abbott nor the bill’s author, state Senator Bryan Hughes, has responded to requests for comment on the study’s findings regarding the ban they endorsed.
Despite branding itself as the pro-life party, the Texas GOP voted on a potential policy last month which could classify abortion care as homicide, potentially invoking the death penalty for those undergoing abortions. Results of this vote have not yet been made public.
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