Health & Lifestyle

Infant deaths due to birth defects spiked by 22% in Texas after state introduced six-week abortion ban, data shows

Infant mortality spiked by up to a fifth in Texas in the year after the state enacted one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States.

Preliminary data shows roughly 2,200 infants died in Texas in 2022, an increase of 11.5 percent, or 227 deaths over the prior year. 

And for the first time in decades, deaths caused by severe genetic and birth defects increased year-on-year by 21.6 percent. 

Cleveland Clinic reports that 1 in 33 babies, or 120,000, are born with a birth defect in the US every year. 

While the increase in infant mortality could partly be attributed to more babies being born in Texas, health experts say the abortion ban is likely another factor.

Demonstrators gather outside City Hall in Houston, Texas during a Bans Off Our Bodies rally in May

Demonstrators gather outside City Hall in Houston, Texas during a Bans Off Our Bodies rally in May

In September 2021, Texas passed a law banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which typically occurs around six weeks, forcing women to carry nonviable pregnancies to term. 

The only exception that allows for an abortion to be obtained after six weeks is if a doctor believes a medical emergency exists. The vague language of the law, however, leaves a lot of up to interpretation. 

The preliminary mortality data –  which was obtained by CNN – comes from preliminary infant mortality data from the Texas Department of State Health Services

Multiple obstetrician-gynecologists who focus on high-risk pregnancies told CNN they’re not surprised of the rise in infant mortality because many of the pregnancies that would have been terminated, which are now forced to be carried to term, don’t result in a healthy baby. 

‘We all knew the infant mortality rate would go up, because many of these terminations were for pregnancies that don’t turn into healthy normal kids,’ Dr. Erika Werner, the chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts Medical Center, said.

‘It’s exactly what we all were concerned about.’ 

A separate study released recently in the journal JAMA found Texas’ strict abortion rule may have led to 10,000 more births than expected in the last nine months of 2022. 

Researchers analyzed monthly counts of live births in 50 states and Washington, DC from 2016 to 2022 to establish trends and understand how Texas’ law may have affected local trends. Using the data from years prior to the new law, researchers were able to extrapolate a version of what birth trends in Texas would have looked like if the ban had not been enacted. They then compared that with the actual number of births the state reported. 

The study stated: ‘Many have speculated that as abortion becomes more difficult to access, people will be forced to carry pregnancies to term, thereby increasing births’. 

The study showed that from April to December 2022, the first months that would have reflected the impacts of the abortion ban, there was approximately a 3% increase in total births. 

Despite the higher birth rate, medical professionals who focus on high-risk pregnancies told CNN that the state’s strict abortion laws are likely the cause of the increase in infant deaths.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, eliminating federal protections for abortions in June 2022.

A group of pro-life demonstrators protest next to a pro-choice rally in Washington, DC

A group of pro-life demonstrators protest next to a pro-choice rally in Washington, DC

The court’s decision set off a trigger ban in Texas, and several other states, that enforced prohibitions on all abortions unless the life of the mother is at risk. 

Abortion is now illegal in 14 states, meaning states have banned abortion entirely and enforce the bans through criminal penalties. 

Ten additional states have been deemed “hostile”, meaning lawmakers have expressed a desire to prohibit abortion. In three others, abortion is not protected, meaning the procedure may continue to be accessible, but would be unprotected by state law. 

In another 12 states, abortion is protected, meaning the right to an abortion is protected by state law but there are limitations on access. 

And in a further 12 states, there is expanded access to abortion, meaning the right to an abortion is protected by state statutes or state constitutions and additional laws and policies have been created to allow for additional access to abortion care. 

In 2020, the most recent year data is available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported there were 620,327 abortions.

The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization for sexual and reproductive rights, reported there were 930,160 abortions in 2020. 

While the CDC’s number shows a 1.5% decline in abortions across the US, the Guttmacher Institute’s total represents a 1.5% increase. 

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