In States With Abortion Bans, Infant Mortality Is on the Rise

The paper also posits that “fetal and maternal health exceptions do not moderate this effect.” In other words, exceptions to abortion bans don’t make a difference. This is likely because, even with exceptions, doctors and healthcare workers are still expected to navigate ambiguous and intentionally confusing bans, which can delay care and be fatal in a medical emergency.

The research adds to a similar study conducted in February, which estimated 478 infant deaths occurred in 14 states due to abortion restrictions. That same month, the Trump administration shuttered PRAMS, or the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, which is how the CDC tracked maternal and infant deaths in an effort to reduce them.

The February study also found that infant mortality was especially rampant in Texas, home to some of the most draconian anti-abortion legislation (and legislators). In 2022, the state reported that nearly 2,200 babies died, up 11.5% from the prior year, according to CNN.

“Our findings push forward current understanding of the effect of abortion restrictions in three ways,” Brad Greenwood, one of the paper’s authors, told Jezebel. “First, we, along with other emergent work, find that the deleterious effect of abortion restrictions on infant mortality is not unique to Texas. Instead, it appears to be a national phenomenon. Second, we find that restrictions do not solely influence the mortality of newborns (infants less than a day old). Instead, there are lingering effects which manifest in the first year of life. Finally, we find no evidence that health exceptions for maternal health and life-limiting fetal abnormalities attenuate this effect. In other words, states which have such exceptions experience similar increases in infant mortality as those which do not.”

Compared with countries in Europe, the U.S. has a high infant mortality rate, and compounding the issue are stark racial disparities (in 2024, Black infant mortality rates nearly doubled that of white ones, CDC numbers reported). Mississippi ranks 50th among the states for infant mortality, reporting 9.7 deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2024.  Recently, the state declared an infant-deaths emergency.

“The idea that more stringent abortion restrictions may influence infant mortality is not new,” further explained Greenwood. “Prior to Dobbs, researchers discovered an increase in Texan infant mortality following the passage of Senate Bill 8 (the Texas Heartbeat Act). But our understanding of the national effect is only beginning to emerge.”

Like what you just read? You’ve got great taste. Subscribe to Jezebel, and for $5 a month or $50 a year, you’ll get access to a bunch of subscriber benefits, including getting to read the next article (and all the ones after that) ad-free. Plus, you’ll be supporting independent journalism—which, can you even imagine not supporting independent journalism in times like these? Yikes.