Abortion bans in the US states cause increased births and infant mortality: Study
World | Learn about the impact of restrictive abortion policies on infant deaths, with newborn fatalities reported in states with tight restrictions or bans.
New research suggests that infant mortality rates have increased in US states after new abortion bans took effect. The researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analysed the rate of death among children under age 1 before and after these abortion bans took effect in different states.
In the US, abortion policies have undergone rapid changes since 2021. Texas implemented a six-week ban in September 2021, then came the 2022 overturn of the longstanding Roe v Wade ruling by the US Supreme Court.
The researchers found that 478 newborn fatalities occurred in 14 jurisdictions with tight restrictions or full bans. They claimed that these deaths could have been avoided if the rules had not been in place.
Alison Gemmill, who is the co-leader of the study, said, as quoted by BBC, that "restrictive abortion policies" could be "reversing decades of progress" in reducing infant deaths across the US.
The study, titled "US Abortion Bans and Fertility," was published in JAMA on February 13. The researchers have examined birth certificates and also the US Census Bureau data from 2012 through 2023 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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Researchers said that the study used a Bayesian panel model to examine infant mortality rates in 14 states that implemented complete or 6-week abortion bans and compared them with predictions of infant mortality rates based on pre-ban mortality rates and states without bans. Data included all live births and infant deaths from all 50 US states and the District of Columbia for 2012 through 2023.
The study noted that abortion bans were associated with increases in infant mortality. These increases were larger for populations that already experienced higher-than-average rates of infant mortality.
The study said that estimated increases were relatively larger among infants who were Black, had congenital anomalies, or were born in southern states.
What are congenital anomalies?
Congenital malformations, also known as birth defects, are structural or functional anomalies that occur during foetal development, resulting in physical or physiological abnormalities present at birth.
Some of the types of congenital malformations include chromosomal abnormalities and environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins, infections, or radiation during pregnancy.
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(With inputs from agencies)