Many babies born with severe birth defects die within the first few days or weeks of life. (Image credit: shironosov via Getty Images)
According to an October 2024 study, the infant mortality rate in the United States has increased by 7% since the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion.
The findings come after another study found that Texas' infant mortality rate increased by 12.7 percent after the passage of Senate Bill 8, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Except in medical emergencies, the law effectively makes abortions illegal in the state after about five to six weeks of pregnancy.
Both studies found a more pronounced increase in deaths among babies born with birth defects, suggesting that women are starting to give birth to more babies with severe defects who have no chance of surviving more than a few hours, days or, at best, a few weeks.
Yet even before the new study confirmed the link, doctors who specialize in supporting high-risk pregnancies warned about the potential consequences of new abortion laws.
We are researchers focused on maternal and child health who analyze the safety of medications during pregnancy. We identify medications that may increase the risk of birth defects or pregnancy loss.
We also assess the effectiveness of policies and initiatives aimed at improving pregnancy outcomes, including the possibility that stricter abortion laws may lead to increased child mortality.
Birth Defects: The Leading Cause of Child Death
Birth defects affect 3% of pregnancies in the United States.
These defects can be caused by exposure to certain drugs, infections, maternal illnesses, or genetic factors. In most cases, the causes remain unknown.
Although birth defects can develop at any time during pregnancy, most occur during the first three months, a critical period for organ formation. More than 5% of pregnancies are exposed to about 200 medications that can cause birth defects.
Study Finds Texas Child Deaths Soar After Abortion Ban – YouTube
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Many birth defects can be treated; for example, orofacial clefts and some heart defects can be corrected with surgery. Some result in lifelong disability, and some are fatal, resulting in stillbirth or rapid death after birth. Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality, accounting for about 20% of all deaths in the first year of life.
Of the abnormalities considered lethal, not all result in pregnancy loss or immediate death at birth. For example, more than half of babies with trisomy 18, a chromosomal abnormality that causes severe heart defects or breathing problems, die within the first week of life. Only 13% survive to their first birthday.
Anencephaly, a birth defect that affects the development of the skull and brain, results in either stillbirth or death within the first weeks of life. However, there is one case of a baby surviving to its second birthday.
More than 80% of women choose to terminate anencephaly pregnancies when diagnosed before 24 weeks of pregnancy, according to data collected before the Dobbs decision. Given the serious consequences for the lives of the parents, this is an intensely personal choice. But in many states, these women may no longer have a choice. Because of abortion laws with limited or no exceptions, women carrying a fetus with a fatal condition have no legal option but to carry the pregnancy to term.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
