A new paper in JAMA, distributed by Reuters and discussed at Bluesky has sparked a lot of interest showing a higher than expected infant mortality in states after adoption of abortion bans with observed 6.26 vs expected 5.93 per 1000 live births.
The reasons are not fully clear while methodological artifacts can be largely excluded
The results are consistent with clinician and media reports documenting denial of terminations for non viable pregnancies … The increase in infant mortality rate due to non congenital causes is less straight forward and warrants further investigation. One possibility is that these increases may result from the disproportionate impact of abortion bans on already disadvantaged populations, who are at higher risk of infant mortality, or from delays in receiving timely medical interventions.
The online discussion includes
– political and racial Implications as many users argue that this outcome was a foreseeable consequence of the Dobbs decision, with some claiming it aligns with systemic racial discrimination.
– criticism of “Pro-Life” sance. Many commenters criticize the anti-abortion movement, stating that its real goal was not to protect life but to exert control over marginalized populations.
– There are concerns about women’s healthcare: Some responses emphasize that these bans exacerbate existing disparities in maternal and infant health, particularly for Black women.
_ Responses range from outrage and frustration to calls for political action against policymakers responsible for the bans.
Not mentioned in the paper: Maternal death rate according to sepsis increased in Texas( Texas provided most observations in the new JAMA paper).
Source 23/2/25 https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-maternal-mortality-analysis In the two earlier years, there were 79 maternal hospital deaths. In the two most recent, there were 120.