After Republican-led states put in place abortion bans and restrictions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, infant death has significantly increased, a new study published Monday shows.
The report was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics by researchers at the Ohio State University College of Public Health. The study compared infant mortality before the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe and in the months after. They found that deaths were up about 7%, resulting in an average of 247 more infant deaths each month.
The researchers attributed most of those deaths to congenital anomalies, which are birth defects that occur prenatally.
The conservative majority on the Supreme Court overturned Roe. Three of the five justices who ruled with the majority were appointed by former president Donald Trump, while the remainder of the majority were appointed by Republican presidents George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush. The justices who voted to retain Roe were appointed by Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
The repeal of Roe allowed states with Republican legislatures to pass abortion bans, since they were no longer bound by the 49-year-old decision. Fourteen states, largely in the south, put abortion bans in place, rolling back rights many have had for decades.
In addition to the alarming data on infant mortality, abortion bans have been connected to the deaths of several women. In Georgia, Amber Thurman’s death was determined to be “preventable,” but doctors delayed performing a surgical procedure called dilation and curettage after the state made performing that surgery a felony under its anti-abortion law. In a September town hall with Thurman’s surviving family, Vice President Kamala Harris blamed the death on “Trump’s abortion bans.”
The bans have also led to victims of sexual assault being forced to give birth. Hadley Duvall, a Kentucky resident and reproductive rights activist, appeared in a campaign ad for Harris and discussed her history as a survivor of childhood incest. She noted, “Because Donald Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, girls and women all over the country have lost the right to choose, even for rape or incest.”
During his September debate with Harris, Trump praised the “genius” of his Supreme Court picks in overturning the popular decision. He has also repeatedly lied and claimed that “everybody” wanted Roe overturned.
Harris has made “freedom” one of the central themes of her presidential campaign and has advocated for federal legislation that would restore the protections in Roe. Harris has said she would back eliminating the Senate filibuster if it meant securing the passage of a pro-choice law.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
