Since Texas’ ban on abortion went into effect, infant deaths in the state increased by nearly 13%, according to a new analysis published on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
Among the causes of infant deaths, one increased the most: congenital abnormalities, which increased 22.9% in Texas in children between 2021 and 2022, while they decreased 2.9% in the rest of the country. That trend suggests that at least in some cases, parents were forced to carry a pregnancy to term while knowing their children had little to no chance of survival, said Gemmill.