When Mia, 23, learned that her baby had a lethal birth defect, she was confronted with an impossible scenario. Abortion was prohibited where she lived in her state of residence, forcing her to remain pregnant.
Sadly, her child survived only a few hours of life an agony that researchers believe is increasingly taking place throughout the United States.
New research in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds a disturbing connection between abortion prohibitions and increasing infant mortality.
In 14 states with severe prohibitions, the birth rate went up by 1.7%, adding thousands to the number of births. Scarily, infant fatalities jumped almost 6%, with Black babies experiencing the greatest increase—an 11% boost compared to others.
These extra births are happening in groups already at risk for adverse outcomes,” said Dr. Suzanne Bell of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Socioeconomic issues, restricted prenatal care access, and medical complications are behind the surge.
Texas, which had imposed early bans, was most affected, with 80% of the excess infant deaths.
Experts emphasize the need for improved maternal and infant healthcare assistance to avoid further tragedies like Mia’s, pointing out” that the effect of these bans is just the tip of the iceberg of a larger public health crisis.
