States with more abortion restrictions have higher maternal and infant mortality, report finds
NBCDec 14, 2022
Infant mortality rates in the US rose last year, for the first time in 20 years. According to a report released on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Vital Statistics, the US recorded 5.6 infant deaths per 1K live births in 2022, a 3% increase from 2021.
White and Native American infants, infant boys, and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier had significant death rate increases. Preeclampsia and bacterial meningitis, the two leading causes of infant deaths from maternal complications, also had large increases, rising 8% and 14%.
Planned, intentional pregnancies tend to have healthier infant outcomes. With the rollback of Roe v. Wade, and the conservative crackdown on reproductive healthcare and abortion rights, more women are being forced to carry babies they did not plan and cannot support. By removing the ability for women to decide if and when to have children, more babies are being born in unhealthy circumstances.
There are many reasons why infant mortality figures may be higher in the US, ranging from illegal immigration to the disruption of COVID measures on healthcare systems. A detailed examination of the statistics and causes must be carried out before ascribing any potential linkage to abortion access.
There's a 5% chance that elective abortion will be banned nationally in the United States before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.