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Infant mortality has been rising in the United States since the end of protections for the right to abortion. (illustrative image)
United States – This is a direct consequence of the Supreme Court’s revocation of the federal guarantee of the right to abortion. In the months that followed, infant mortality rates rose sharply in the United States, particularly due to congenital anomalies, according to a new study published Monday, Oct. 21.
After ending half a century of jurisprudence in June 2022, the Supreme Court with a conservative majority since the appointment of three judges by Donald Trump gave the federated states full latitude to legislate in this area. At least 20 of them have since introduced partial or complete restrictions on voluntary termination of pregnancy.
The topic occupies an important place in the presidential campaign, two weeks before the election in the United States. On November 5, Americans will also vote on the states’ guarantee of the right to abortion in no less than ten of them.
This new study, led by Maria Gallo and Parvati Singh of Ohio University and published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, analyzes a national database, and its findings on the consequences of restrictions on abortion are consistent with studies published earlier this year in the single state. in Texas, where abortion is now prohibited, even in cases of incest or rape.
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In the months following the Supreme Court’s decision, “Infant mortality in the US has been higher than we expected”the numbers at the national level are usually quite stable, with peaks and troughs associated with predictable seasonal effects, explains Maria Gallo, professor of epidemiology specializing in reproductive health, to AFP.
In October 2022, March 2023 and April 2023, infant mortality rates were 7% higher than normal nationally, with 247 additional deaths in each of these months. The majority of these deaths were attributed to congenital anomalies.
“These are cases where, before the Supreme Court’s decision, it would have been possible to have an abortion instead of delaying the pregnancy and witnessing the death of your child”emphasizes Maria Gallo.
The next step for researchers will be to determine whether this increase was observed in all states or whether it was concentrated in states that restricted access to abortion.
“There is a wider human burden to consider, including the mental health consequences of being denied an abortion or being forced to carry a pregnancy when the fetus has a fatal birth defect.”adds Parvati Singh.
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