Infant and newborn deaths increase nearly 13% following Texas abortion ban

HOUSTON – A study published in JAMA pediatrics showed Johns Hopkins University Researchers found in June that the Texas abortion ban was linked with increases in infant and neonatal mortality.

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The study was based on 94,720 recorded infant deaths in Texas and 28 comparison states.

In September 2021, Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8) was passed ruling that abortions be banned as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected.

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That can be as early as five weeks. Congenital anomalies, including conditions that will cause a newborn to die soon after birth are not included as exemptions.

According to the study, infant death rates in 28 states were compared from 2018 to 2022. That included newborns 28 days or younger and infants up to 12 months old., infant deaths in Texas rose from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022.

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That’s a nearly 13% increase the year after SB8 passed. Nationwide, infant deaths rose by roughly 2%.

The study showed that infant deaths attributable to congenital anomalies in 2022 increased more for Texas (22.9% increase) but not the rest of the US (3.1% decrease).