The consequences of US abortion bans - more babies and higher infant mortality

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-02-14 03:05

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Two US studies have investigated the consequences of abortion bans in the country. The first found US states that adopted abortion bans had higher than expected infant mortality after the bans took effect. This resulted in an estimated 478 additional infant deaths in the 14 states with bans during the months affected, the authors say. The change was biggest for deaths with congenital causes and among communities with higher than average infant mortality rates before the bans, including Black infants and those in southern states. The second study found fertility increased in states with bans, with around one extra baby born per 1,000 woman, or a total of 22,180 additional babies across the country. The biggest fertility increases were seen among racial minorities, unmarried women, women under 35, and women without a college degree, particularly in southern states and those with worse healthcare, the researchers say. An accompanying series of 'Viewpoint' and editorial articles discuss the need to support children and families, access to abortion drugs, legislative regulation of medicine, and the importance of ongoing research into the effects of the bans.

Media release

From: JAMA

US Abortion Bans and Infant Mortality

About The Study: U.S. states that adopted abortion bans had higher than expected infant mortality after the bans took effect. The estimated relative increases in infant mortality were larger for deaths with congenital causes and among groups that had higher than average infant mortality rates at baseline, including Black infants and those in southern states.

US Abortion Bans and Fertility

About The Study: The findings of this study provide evidence that fertility rates in states with abortion bans were higher than would have been expected in the absence of these policies, with the largest estimated differences among subpopulations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health and well-being outcomes.

Attachments

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Research JAMA, Web page Infant mortality study: The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Research JAMA, Web page Fertility study: The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Supporting Children and Families: The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Access to aborion drugs: The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Legislative Regulation in Medicine: The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page JAMA Health Forum - Research on Difficult Social Issues: The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JAMA and JAMA Health Forum

Research: Link to Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Paper 3 | Paper 4 | Paper 5

Organisation/s: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA

Funder: Infant mortality study: This study was supported by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) grants P2CHD042854 and R01HD114292 and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) grant U54MD000214. Fertility study: This study was supported by grants P2CHD042854 and R01HD114292 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and U54MD000214 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

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