Infant death rates rising in Texas after abortion ban

LINCOLN, Neb. (CNN) — Texas’ abortion restrictions – some of the strictest in the country – may be fueling a sudden spike in infant mortality as women are forced to carry nonviable pregnancies to term according to preliminary data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

2,200 infants died in Texas in 2022 – an increase of 227 deaths, or 11.5%, over the previous year, according to the DSHS infant mortality data. Infant deaths caused by severe genetic and birth defects rose by 21.6%. That spike reversed a nearly decade-long decline. Between 2014 and 2021, infant deaths had fallen by nearly 15%.

That’s 227 additional deaths compared to the previous year, or an increase of nearly 12%.

The increase in deaths could partly be explained by the fact that more babies are being born in Texas. One recent report found that in the final nine months of 2022, the state saw nearly 10,000 more births than expected prior to its abortion ban – an estimated 3% increase.

Texas banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy in 2021.  A trigger law banned all abortions, other than those to protect the mother’s life, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Multiple OB-GYNs told CNN the state’s strict abortion laws likely contributed to the sudden spike.

Just this week, women suing Texas after they were denied the procedure despite serious risks to their health described the trauma it’s put them through.

Amanda Zurawski said, “All of us have suffered an enormous amount of grief and tragedy that’s rooted in loss and not once did anyone from the state’s team apologize for the loss or acknowledge what we’ve gone through.”

Nebraska lawmakers also pushed for a six-week abortion ban during the latest legislative session, but it ultimately failed.

That led to the 12-week ban which was combined with the controversial Let Them Grow Act, aimed at limiting transgender care in our state.

Earlier this week, a judge announced she would take a request to block the law under advisement.

This weekend marks two months since Nebraska’s 12-week abortion ban went into effect