An abortion ban in Texas may have resulted in an unexpected increase in infant mortality, according to new research.
In 2021, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law the Texas Heartbeat Act—officially called Texas Senate Bill 8, or SB8. The law bans all abortions in the state after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which usually occurs around six weeks into a pregnancy.
The ban also allows citizens to sue anyone involved in providing or receiving an abortion and applies to cases where the woman was impregnated as a result of rape or incest, with an exception only for medical emergencies. The law does not include exceptions for congenital abnormalities.
Previously, scientists have hypothesized that abortion restrictions passed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 would result in an increase in infant mortality in those states, but the data supporting this hypothesis was lacking. Now, new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found a striking association between abortion laws and infant mortality.
The study analyzed 94,720 recorded infant deaths in Texas and 28 comparison states between 2021 and 2022. After accounting for absolute increases in birth rates, it found that the Texas Heartbeat Act was associated with an "unexpected" increase in infant mortality.
"Between 2021 and 2022, infant deaths in Texas increased from 1,985 to 2,240, or 255 additional deaths. This corresponds to a 12.9 percent increase, whereas the rest of the US experienced a comparatively lower 1.8 percent increase," the researchers write.
So what might be behind these associations?
Congenital abnormalities are the most common cause of infant mortality in the U.S. and account for more than 1 in 5 infant deaths. By banning abortions in cases of known congenital abnormalities, more babies will likely be born with these conditions. Indeed, the study found that in 2022 infant deaths attributable to congenital abnormalities increased in Texas by 22.9 percent, compared with the rest of the U.S., where deaths from these conditions decreased by 3.1 percent.
The researchers said there may also be societal factors behind these increases, including the increased socioeconomic and mental stresses associated with an unplanned pregnancy.
While these results are purely observational, the study adds to previous research demonstrating the relationship between restrictive abortion laws and infant deaths.
These findings are concerning not only for infant mortality but also for the mental health of the parents.
"The repercussions of potentially preventable increases in infant mortality are significant," the researchers write. "Experiencing an infant death is associated with trauma and potential criminalization, particularly for racialized groups. Parents who experience a child's death report greater depressive symptoms, poorer health, and greater marital disruption than parents who have not experienced a child's death."
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