A new study published on Monday reveals that the near-total ban on abortion in Texas, touted by lawmakers as an effort to save lives, may have led to an increase in infant deaths. The study highlights the potential harmful consequences of such restrictive abortion laws on the overall health and well-being of mothers and babies.
According to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, infant deaths have increased following the implementation of Texas’ Senate Bill 8, which prohibited abortions after around six weeks from conception. The bill became law in September 2021, and just over nine months later, on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. As a result, more than a dozen states have since issued near-total bans on abortion. Experts suggest that similar increases in infant deaths may also be observed in these states, as seen in Texas.
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According to Alison Gemmill, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and the author of the study, the devastating consequences of abortion bans that were not taken into account when passing these laws are becoming more apparent. Gemmill described the deaths resulting from the Texas heartbeat law as its “spillover effects on moms and babies,” highlighting the severity of the situation.
According to new data, over 171,000 patients traveled out-of-state for abortions in 2023, amidst the implementation of abortion bans.
A study has revealed that following the implementation of the Texas heartbeat law, there has been a rise in the number of infant deaths before their first birthday. Researchers believe that this increase is due to birth defects or genetic problems that would have been identified through an abortion process. However, the law does not allow for such exceptions, and mothers are now legally bound to carry their babies to full term, regardless of the situation.
A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins, Michigan State University, and led by Gemmill, published an article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealing that the Texas anti-abortion law was associated with a surprising rise in neonatal and infant deaths from 2021 to 2022. While previous studies had suggested a correlation between increased infant deaths and the implementation of anti-abortion laws, this is the first study that has directly linked the fatalities to laws that prohibit the termination of pregnancies.
According to Wendy Davis, a senior adviser for Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, limiting access to abortion care can have devastating effects on individuals’ overall healthcare. As a former Democratic state senator who filibustered for abortion rights, Davis pointed out that the study’s findings only apply to 2022 and don’t account for the impact of the more restrictive abortion ban that came with the Dobbs decision in 2023 and 2024. This suggests that the current situation is possibly even more dire than what the study suggests, Davis warned.
Although the study’s findings were not disputed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, the state’s anti-abortion record was defended by the Republican-controlled government. Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, stated that the 2021 heartbeat law was implemented “to save the innocent unborn, and now thousands of children have been given a chance at life,” in a statement to USA TODAY. He further mentioned that the governor has taken “significant action to protect the sanctity of life” and offered resources to expectant mothers “so they can choose life for their child.”
Those who oppose abortion did not dispute the rise in infant mortality referenced in the research. Supporters of the heartbeat law and other measures aimed at limiting abortions argue that such prohibitions safeguard life. They contend that terminating a fetus with a fatal ailment is equivalent to “deliberately choosing to end the life of that child.”
Most abortions are conducted before the fetus is deemed viable, which is the case in the overwhelming majority of scenarios. Texas has implemented legislation that has significantly decreased the number of abortions carried out within the state.
According to Amy O’Donnell, a representative of Texas Alliance for Life, the results of the study were not unexpected. She believes that infants born with disabilities, including those with fatal anomalies, should be given an opportunity to live, even if it means they pass away shortly after birth due to a condition that medical professionals had predicted would be fatal. Although losing a child is a difficult experience, O’Donnell recognizes the significance of providing support to families who are grieving from such losses. Her nonprofit offers resources to help these families cope with their loss.
She stated, “We celebrate every unborn child’s life saved in Texas and value the protection of women’s lives through our laws. We firmly stand against discrimination of children with disabilities or fatal diagnoses, whether they are in the womb or out of it. This is a line that we strongly believe should never be crossed, and we stand by it.”
According to Gemmill from Johns Hopkins, the passing away of newborns with birth defects may have caused undue distress for families.
Maternal Health: Pregnant women are experiencing a significant increase in chronic hypertension. However, treatment for this condition is falling behind and not keeping up with the surge.
After the heartbeat law was implemented, a team of researchers analyzed death records to determine its impact. The study involved creating a simulated version of Texas, which was compared to national trends during the same period. Shockingly, the results showed that in 2021, almost 1,985 infants in Texas died before their first birthday. However, the following year, with the implementation of S.B. 8, the number of fatalities skyrocketed to 2,240, representing a 12.9% increase. This increase was significantly higher than the overall increase of less than 2% experienced in the United States. Additionally, deaths caused by congenital anomalies or birth defects increased by nearly 23% in Texas, while the national rate decreased by 3%.
Gemmill pointed out that the policy was the likely cause for the rise in infant deaths in Texas.
Dr. Tracey Wilkinson, an associate professor of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, explains that the study holds great significance due to Texas’ standing as a conservative state with both urban and rural regions, which may provide insight into the potential impact of similar laws throughout the United States. Furthermore, Texas has implemented abortion restrictions for a longer period than other states that have enacted bans following the Dobbs ruling.
According to Wilkinson, who was not involved in the new study, the reason behind the increasing infant and maternal mortality rates is quite straightforward. When individuals are deprived of the power to make decisions about their pregnancies, the outcomes are likely to be unfavorable. She stated, “When people ask me why this is happening, it’s really simple. When you take away people’s ability to make decisions (about) if and when they have pregnancies, you’re going to see outcomes like increasing infant and maternal mortality.”
The impact of infant deaths on the physical and mental health of mothers who were obliged to give birth to stillborn babies was not explored in the study. Moreover, the study did not investigate the psychological effects of carrying and delivering babies, only to witness their untimely demise. Additionally, the financial burden faced by families in carrying and delivering critically ill newborns was raised but not addressed in the study.
Gemmill is currently conducting research to analyze the effects of abortion limitations on parents belonging to various races and ethnicities. Previous studies have indicated that Black mothers and babies experience higher mortality rates compared to other groups.
According to Molly Duane, a senior staff attorney at the nonprofit organization Center for Reproductive Rights, the findings of the study resonate with her own experiences in court fighting against Texas’ restrictive abortion laws. Recently, she represented women who were denied medical abortions and sued the state. Among her clients was Samatha Casiano, who was legally required to carry a fetus that had developed without a brain. In May, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that patients seeking abortions must have a “life-threatening condition” in order to terminate their pregnancies.
According to the study’s findings, Duane challenged the assertion made by anti-abortion activists that Texas is a “pro-life” state. She firmly stated that the real human suffering caused by the issue is being overlooked by the state, resulting in the pain of women and families and the loss of innocent lives.
According to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late 2023, there has been a rise in infant deaths for the first time in over two decades. The report highlights that states which have limited access to abortion have seen an increase in fatalities. It is important to note that experts have cautioned that the cause of this spike in fatalities cannot be determined at this time.
According to the Texas study, abortion restrictions in one state actually led to an increase in deaths.
USA TODAY reported that despite Texas’ anti-abortion heartbeat law being aimed at saving babies, more infants actually died.
