US infant mortality rate rose after overturning of Roe v. Wade, study finds
FILE - A babys feet. (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Infant mortality in the U.S. increased significantly "for several months" following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, and it was the highest among those born with chromosomal or genetic abnormalities, according to a newly-published study.
The research, published on Oct. 21 by JAMA Pediatrics, mirrors previous findings on infant mortality in Texas after a ban on abortions in early pregnancy.
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The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling protected the right to an abortion until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks of pregnancy. It was overturned in June 2022 in a ruling in a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson.
Post-Roe, state legislatures enacted a wide range of policies on the issue – including some that created new abortion restrictions and bans.
"In the seven to 14 months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, we saw a 7% increase in infant mortality, and a 10% increase in those babies born with congenital anomalies," Parvati Singh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University and study co-author, said in a statement.
The study authors noted how the increase "appeared pronounced" among infants with congenital anomalies – or birth defects, which can be mild or severe – "potentially owing to frail fetuses more often being carried to term following the implementation of abortion restrictions."
Infant mortality rate in the US
Infant mortality is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The agency notes that it’s an important marker of the overall health of a society.
From 2018 through 2023, monthly infant mortality averaged 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the study, which analyzed data from the CDC’s WONDER database. Mortality with congenital anomalies averaged 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The study authors compared the months after Dobbs with the months before, and they found 247 more total infant deaths per month than expected.
Additionally, there were 204 more deaths per month than expected due to chromosomal and genetic conditions, according to the study.
"Birth outcomes are usually pretty stable in any population, and in a large population like the entire U.S., infant mortality is typically quite consistent except for some predictable seasonal peaks and valleys," Singh said.
Knowing this, the researchers said they accounted for such changes when analyzing the data.
"Babies born to people who became pregnant in the first part of 2022 are where we see these additional deaths," Singh said in a statement.
The team did not see an increase in infant deaths beyond 14 months after the Supreme Court decision, according to the study.
The researchers said they would like to next study the impact based on different populations, including those who typically struggle more when care is limited, and to examine maternal mortality rates.
"There’s a broader human toll to consider, including mental health consequences of being denied abortion care or being forced to carry a fetus with a fatal genetic abnormality to term," Singh said in a statement.