Latest news with #SuzanneBell
CNN
14-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
Abortion bans in US led to more births and infant deaths, especially among vulnerable groups
Abortion bans in the United States are exacerbating existing health disparities as births increase in high-risk populations and infant mortality rises disproportionately, new research suggests. In 14 states that implemented complete or 6-week abortion bans after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to abortion, the fertility rate increased 1.7%, leading to about 1 additional birth for every 1,000 women of reproductive age, according to a study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA. A corresponding study from the same research team found that the rise in infant mortality was even more significant, spiking nearly 6% in the states that implemented bans. With about 500 more deaths than expected among the 22,000 additional births, the infant mortality rate for births linked to abortion bans – 24 deaths for every 1,000 births – was about four times higher than expected. Rates of births and deaths were analyzed from 2012 through 2023, using trends from before the restrictions were implemented and from states without restrictions as baseline measures. 'It signals that these additional births are occurring disproportionately among populations at greater risk of infant mortality and other poor pregnancy outcomes,' said Dr. Suzanne Bell, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-author of the new studies. Other research has found links between abortion bans and a rise in infant births and deaths, but the new studies show that that some of the most vulnerable groups bear the greatest burden of the significant and compounding effects of abortion restrictions. Black and other minority women saw the largest increases in fertility rates, along with those of lower socioeconomic status such as Medicaid beneficiaries and those with lower education levels. Infant mortality also surged in these groups, with deaths rising nearly 11% – almost twice the average – among Black babies, more than any other racial or ethnic group. 'Abortion bans are associated with excess births that shift the composition of births toward those at higher risk of infant death,' the researchers wrote. Experts have long cautioned about the dangers of abortion bans, warning that restricting access to abortion can have significant negative effects on the health and livelihood of the individual and their families. 'I think back to the Dobbs case, where part of Mississippi's argument to the Supreme Court was that there's no societal reliance on abortion, that you can essentially take this right away and it's not going to affect measurable outcomes. Well, here's one, right?' said Caitlin Myers, a professor of economics at Middlebury College. She was not involved in the new studies but has researched abortion trends and policy impacts. 'We see so clearly that when you take abortion access away, it increases infant mortality.' The new research showed the share of infants who died from congenital anomalies rose significantly in states with abortion bans, suggesting a disproportionate rise in the number of women who are carrying fetuses with lethal congenital anomalies to term. Congenital anomalies can range from mild to severe cases, and some of the most common types can affect an infant's heart or spine. In some cases, babies with a birth defect may only survive a few months. The new research found that there was about an 11% increase in infant mortality due to congenital anomalies, or more than one additional death for every 10,000 births. But infant deaths from other causes also increased – rising about 4% in states with abortion bans – suggesting that 'legal exceptions based solely on fetal anomalies will not fully offset the negative effects of abortion bans on infant health,' the researchers wrote. 'These findings make it clear that many pregnant people were unable to overcome barriers to access abortion services, and instead were forced to continue an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy to term,' Bell said. 'The largest impacts are among populations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health outcomes, even prior to these abortion bans being imposed.' A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Black women were the only group who had an increase in maternal mortality between 2022 and 2023, and the latest rate – about 50 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023 – was nearly three times higher than it was for other groups. '[Abortion restrictions are] compounding existing poor health outcomes and disparities by imposing restrictions on reproductive autonomy,' Bell said. And the devastating effects on infant mortality are likely just the 'tip of the iceberg,' she said. Many other pregnancies may have resulted in other kinds of poor outcomes for the infant or mother. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Outcomes in Texas had an outsized effect on the results, accounting for about three-quarters of additional births and about 80% of additional infant deaths, according to the new studies. Many factors could be behind this, but some experts suggest that especially long distances needed to travel out-of-state to reach a clinic and early adoption of Senate Bill 8 that restricted abortion access before the Dobbs decision could play a role. In a commentary about the new research that also published in JAMA on Thursday, Dr. Alyssa Bilinski, an assistant professor of health policy at the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote that 'abortion restrictions that force continuation of unexpected and high-risk pregnancies make it all the more critical to ensure robust supports for children and families' in the US. 'There should be no partisan divide over the idea that all children and families deserve the opportunity to thrive,' she wrote.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
States with abortion bans had an even higher than expected infant death rate. Here's why.
The number of infants dying after states enact abortion bans is even higher than expected, a new study found. At the same time, more babies are being born in states that implemented a complete or six-week ban after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. But the effects — sampled from more than a dozen states that had abortion bans — aren't felt evenly, according to studies published in JAMA Thursday. 'It is disproportionately impacting people who are already at the greatest risk of poor maternal and child health outcomes,' said Suzanne Bell, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkin's University's Bloomberg School of Public Health who co-authored both studies. Evidence indicates many wealthier people have been able to travel to terminate pregnancies, contributing to increases in abortions despite bans. However, people who are poor, nonwhite and live in Southern states also now bear higher infant deaths and increased births because they lack access to abortion services. 'The data are reflecting some of these stories we have heard,' said Usha Ranji, associate director for women's health policy at KFF, a health policy nonprofit. In news reports and research, she said, people who lost access to abortion 'were being forced to continue a pregnancy, even though they knew that it would not result in them being able to take a child home.' Alison Gemmill, an associate professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health who co-authored both studies with Bell, called infant deaths a 'bellwether.' There are warning signs for overall health outcomes. 'We have a very clear reason as to why it's trending in the wrong direction,' she said. 'It's because of policy choices.' The studies, both funded by National Institutes of Health grants, built on existing research by the two researchers looking at infant deaths in Texas after the state enacted its 'heartbeat bill' banning abortion after six weeks' gestation in 2021, before the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. That study found jumps in infant deaths, and even greater spikes from congenital anomalies or birth defects that cause infant mortality, compared to declines nationally. Other research has found similar nationwide increases in infants dying after states enacted abortion bans. In the new findings published in the American Medical Association's journal, researchers aimed to get a national picture of abortion bans across the U.S. In 14 states that enacted abortion bans, the two studies looked at infant deaths, before a child's first birthday, and birth rates among females ages 15 to 44, defined as of reproductive age. They drew from National Center for Health Statistics data from 2012 to December 2023. Researchers estimated 478 additional infant deaths and 22,180 more live births than what would have occurred without the bans. Infant deaths had been declining in recent decades. However, in states that enacted bans, the study found infant deaths were 5.6% more than what they would have been without the bans. Meanwhile, deaths due to congenital anomalies, or birth defects, increased 10.9%. Those that didn't have defects but still died, such as from complications during birth, also rose 4.2%. But there were stark differences, namely with non-Hispanic Black infants and mothers. Black infants died at an 11% rate higher than expected, or about 265 infant deaths. Birth rates were higher for Black, Latino and other nonwhite people, as well as people who received Medicaid, didn't have a college degree, and those who were unmarried or younger. Deaths and births disproportionately occurred in the South, which has already tended to have worse infant and maternal health outcomes than the rest of the country. More specifically, researchers found Texas had an outsized influence. Texas overwhelmingly accounted for deaths and births. In addition to being a large state by population, the state previously had large numbers of abortion providers forced to close operations. And being the largest state by geography, Texans also had to drive further distances or fly to get an abortion, which might not have been possible for others. The studies only looked through the end of 2023, not afterward. Since then, Florida, also moved to limit abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before most even know they're pregnant. More than half of all states — including nearly all of the South, have restricted abortion access, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights. After the Dobbs' decision, organizations moved to donate to provide access to care for women in need of abortions. That funding is withering and could spell trouble for people who couldn't otherwise access an abortion, according to Rachel Jones, a principal research scientist at Guttmacher. 'It could be that these trends that we're seeing are going to become even more exacerbated,' she said. Bell and Gemmill, the study authors, plan to also examine the effects of abortion bans on maternal health outcomes. Black women are disproportionately more likely to die than other mothers. In 2024, reporting by the news organization ProPublica found at least two Georgia women, Amber Thurman, 28, and Candi Miller, 41, who died after not getting access to care under the state's abortion ban. The studies published Thursday are significant in quantifying key public health indicators, Gemmill said. 'Of course, there are individual stories behind these numbers that we're not even conveying here.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Infant death rate is higher than expected after abortion bans
CNN
13-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
Abortion bans in US led to more births and infant deaths, especially among vulnerable groups
Abortion bans in the United States are exacerbating existing health disparities as births increase in high-risk populations and infant mortality rises disproportionately, new research suggests. In 14 states that implemented complete or 6-week abortion bans after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to abortion, the fertility rate increased 1.7%, leading to about 1 additional birth for every 1,000 women of reproductive age, according to a study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA. A corresponding study from the same research team found that the rise in infant mortality was even more significant, spiking nearly 6% in the states that implemented bans. With about 500 more deaths than expected among the 22,000 additional births, the infant mortality rate for births linked to abortion bans – 24 deaths for every 1,000 births – was about four times higher than expected. Rates of births and deaths were analyzed from 2012 through 2023, using trends from before the restrictions were implemented and from states without restrictions as baseline measures. 'It signals that these additional births are occurring disproportionately among populations at greater risk of infant mortality and other full pregnancy outcomes,' said Dr. Suzanne Bell, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-author of the new studies. Other research has found links between abortion bans and a rise in infant births and deaths, but the new studies show that that some of the most vulnerable groups bear the greatest burden of the significant and compounding effects of abortion restrictions. Black and other minority women saw the largest increases in fertility rates, along with those of lower socioeconomic status such as Medicaid beneficiaries and those with lower education levels. Infant mortality also surged in these groups, with deaths rising nearly 11% – almost twice the average – among Black babies, more than any other racial or ethnic group. 'Abortion bans are associated with excess births that shift the composition of births toward those at higher risk of infant death,' the researchers wrote. Experts have long cautioned about the dangers of abortion bans, warning that restricting access to abortion can have significant negative effects on the health and livelihood of the individual and their families. 'I think back to the Dobbs case, where part of Mississippi's argument to the Supreme Court was that there's no societal reliance on abortion, that you can essentially take this right away and it's not going to affect measurable outcomes. Well, here's one, right?' said Caitlin Myers, a professor of economics at Middlebury College. She was not involved in the new studies but has researched abortion trends and policy impacts. 'We see so clearly that when you take abortion access away, it increases infant mortality.' The new research showed the share of infants who died from congenital anomalies rose significantly in states with abortion bans, suggesting a disproportionate rise in the number of women who are carrying fetuses with lethal congenital anomalies to term. Congenital anomalies can range from mild to severe cases, and some of the most common types can affect an infant's heart or spine. In some cases, babies with a birth defect may only survive a few months. The new research found that there was about an 11% increase in infant mortality due to congenital anomalies, or more than one additional death for every 10,000 births. But infant deaths from other causes also increased – rising about 4% in states with abortion bans – suggesting that 'legal exceptions based solely on fetal anomalies will not fully offset the negative effects of abortion bans on infant health,' the researchers wrote. 'These findings make it clear that many pregnant people were unable to overcome barriers to access abortion services, and instead were forced to continue an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy to term,' Bell said. 'The largest impacts are among populations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health outcomes, even prior to these abortion bans being imposed.' A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Black women were the only group who had an increase in maternal mortality between 2022 and 2023, and the latest rate – about 50 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023 – was nearly three times higher than it was for other groups. '[Abortion restrictions are] compounding existing poor health outcomes and disparities by imposing restrictions on reproductive autonomy,' Bell said. And the devastating effects on infant mortality are likely just the 'tip of the iceberg,' she said. Many other pregnancies may have resulted in other kinds of poor outcomes for the infant or mother. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Outcomes in Texas had an outsized effect on the results, accounting for about three-quarters of additional births and about 80% of additional infant deaths, according to the new studies. Many factors could be behind this, but some experts suggest that especially long distances needed to travel out-of-state to reach a clinic and early adoption of Senate Bill 8 that restricted abortion access before the Dobbs decision could play a role. In a commentary about the new research that also published in JAMA on Thursday, Dr. Alyssa Bilinski, an assistant professor of health policy at the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote that 'abortion restrictions that force continuation of unexpected and high-risk pregnancies make it all the more critical to ensure robust supports for children and families' in the US. 'There should be no partisan divide over the idea that all children and families deserve the opportunity to thrive,' she wrote.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Abortion bans in US led to more births and infant deaths, especially among vulnerable groups
Abortion bans in the United States are exacerbating existing health disparities as births increase in high-risk populations and infant mortality rises disproportionately, new research suggests. In 14 states that implemented complete or 6-week abortion bans after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to abortion, the fertility rate increased 1.7%, leading to about 1 additional birth for every 1,000 women of reproductive age, according to a study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA. A corresponding study from the same research team found that the rise in infant mortality was even more significant, spiking nearly 6% in the states that implemented bans. With about 500 more deaths than expected among the 22,000 additional births, the infant mortality rate for births linked to abortion bans – 24 deaths for every 1,000 births – was about four times higher than expected. Rates of births and deaths were analyzed from 2012 through 2023, using trends from before the restrictions were implemented and from states without restrictions as baseline measures. 'It signals that these additional births are occurring disproportionately among populations at greater risk of infant mortality and other full pregnancy outcomes,' said Dr. Suzanne Bell, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-author of the new studies. Other research has found links between abortion bans and a rise in infant births and deaths, but the new studies show that that some of the most vulnerable groups bear the greatest burden of the significant and compounding effects of abortion restrictions. Black and other minority women saw the largest increases in fertility rates, along with those of lower socioeconomic status such as Medicaid beneficiaries and those with lower education levels. Infant mortality also surged in these groups, with deaths rising nearly 11% – almost twice the average – among Black babies, more than any other racial or ethnic group. 'Abortion bans are associated with excess births that shift the composition of births toward those at higher risk of infant death,' the researchers wrote. Experts have long cautioned about the dangers of abortion bans, warning that restricting access to abortion can have significant negative effects on the health and livelihood of the individual and their families. 'I think back to the Dobbs case, where part of Mississippi's argument to the Supreme Court was that there's no societal reliance on abortion, that you can essentially take this right away and it's not going to affect measurable outcomes. Well, here's one, right?' said Caitlin Myers, a professor of economics at Middlebury College. She was not involved in the new studies but has researched abortion trends and policy impacts. 'We see so clearly that when you take abortion access away, it increases infant mortality.' The new research showed the share of infants who died from congenital anomalies rose significantly in states with abortion bans, suggesting a disproportionate rise in the number of women who are carrying fetuses with lethal congenital anomalies to term. Congenital anomalies can range from mild to severe cases, and some of the most common types can affect an infant's heart or spine. In some cases, babies with a birth defect may only survive a few months. The new research found that there was about an 11% increase in infant mortality due to congenital anomalies, or more than one additional death for every 10,000 births. But infant deaths from other causes also increased – rising about 4% in states with abortion bans – suggesting that 'legal exceptions based solely on fetal anomalies will not fully offset the negative effects of abortion bans on infant health,' the researchers wrote. 'These findings make it clear that many pregnant people were unable to overcome barriers to access abortion services, and instead were forced to continue an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy to term,' Bell said. 'The largest impacts are among populations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health outcomes, even prior to these abortion bans being imposed.' A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Black women were the only group who had an increase in maternal mortality between 2022 and 2023, and the latest rate – about 50 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023 – was nearly three times higher than it was for other groups. '[Abortion restrictions are] compounding existing poor health outcomes and disparities by imposing restrictions on reproductive autonomy,' Bell said. And the devastating effects on infant mortality are likely just the 'tip of the iceberg,' she said. Many other pregnancies may have resulted in other kinds of poor outcomes for the infant or mother. Outcomes in Texas had an outsized effect on the results, accounting for about three-quarters of additional births and about 80% of additional infant deaths, according to the new studies. Many factors could be behind this, but some experts suggest that especially long distances needed to travel out-of-state to reach a clinic and early adoption of Senate Bill 8 that restricted abortion access before the Dobbs decision could play a role. In a commentary about the new research that also published in JAMA on Thursday, Dr. Alyssa Bilinski, an assistant professor of health policy at the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote that 'abortion restrictions that force continuation of unexpected and high-risk pregnancies make it all the more critical to ensure robust supports for children and families' in the US. 'There should be no partisan divide over the idea that all children and families deserve the opportunity to thrive,' she wrote.
CNN
13-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
Abortion bans in US led to more births and infant deaths, especially among vulnerable groups
Abortion bans in the United States are exacerbating existing health disparities as births increase in high-risk populations and infant mortality rises disproportionately, new research suggests. In 14 states that implemented complete or 6-week abortion bans after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to abortion, the fertility rate increased 1.7%, leading to about 1 additional birth for every 1,000 women of reproductive age, according to a study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA. A corresponding study from the same research team found that the rise in infant mortality was even more significant, spiking nearly 6% in the states that implemented bans. With about 500 more deaths than expected among the 22,000 additional births, the infant mortality rate for births linked to abortion bans – 24 deaths for every 1,000 births – was about four times higher than expected. Rates of births and deaths were analyzed from 2012 through 2023, using trends from before the restrictions were implemented and from states without restrictions as baseline measures. 'It signals that these additional births are occurring disproportionately among populations at greater risk of infant mortality and other full pregnancy outcomes,' said Dr. Suzanne Bell, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-author of the new studies. Other research has found links between abortion bans and a rise in infant births and deaths, but the new studies show that that some of the most vulnerable groups bear the greatest burden of the significant and compounding effects of abortion restrictions. Black and other minority women saw the largest increases in fertility rates, along with those of lower socioeconomic status such as Medicaid beneficiaries and those with lower education levels. Infant mortality also surged in these groups, with deaths rising nearly 11% – almost twice the average – among Black babies, more than any other racial or ethnic group. 'Abortion bans are associated with excess births that shift the composition of births toward those at higher risk of infant death,' the researchers wrote. Experts have long cautioned about the dangers of abortion bans, warning that restricting access to abortion can have significant negative effects on the health and livelihood of the individual and their families. 'I think back to the Dobbs case, where part of Mississippi's argument to the Supreme Court was that there's no societal reliance on abortion, that you can essentially take this right away and it's not going to affect measurable outcomes. Well, here's one, right?' said Caitlin Myers, a professor of economics at Middlebury College. She was not involved in the new studies but has researched abortion trends and policy impacts. 'We see so clearly that when you take abortion access away, it increases infant mortality.' The new research showed the share of infants who died from congenital anomalies rose significantly in states with abortion bans, suggesting a disproportionate rise in the number of women who are carrying fetuses with lethal congenital anomalies to term. Congenital anomalies can range from mild to severe cases, and some of the most common types can affect an infant's heart or spine. In some cases, babies with a birth defect may only survive a few months. The new research found that there was about an 11% increase in infant mortality due to congenital anomalies, or more than one additional death for every 10,000 births. But infant deaths from other causes also increased – rising about 4% in states with abortion bans – suggesting that 'legal exceptions based solely on fetal anomalies will not fully offset the negative effects of abortion bans on infant health,' the researchers wrote. 'These findings make it clear that many pregnant people were unable to overcome barriers to access abortion services, and instead were forced to continue an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy to term,' Bell said. 'The largest impacts are among populations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health outcomes, even prior to these abortion bans being imposed.' A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Black women were the only group who had an increase in maternal mortality between 2022 and 2023, and the latest rate – about 50 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023 – was nearly three times higher than it was for other groups. '[Abortion restrictions are] compounding existing poor health outcomes and disparities by imposing restrictions on reproductive autonomy,' Bell said. And the devastating effects on infant mortality are likely just the 'tip of the iceberg,' she said. Many other pregnancies may have resulted in other kinds of poor outcomes for the infant or mother. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Outcomes in Texas had an outsized effect on the results, accounting for about three-quarters of additional births and about 80% of additional infant deaths, according to the new studies. Many factors could be behind this, but some experts suggest that especially long distances needed to travel out-of-state to reach a clinic and early adoption of Senate Bill 8 that restricted abortion access before the Dobbs decision could play a role. In a commentary about the new research that also published in JAMA on Thursday, Dr. Alyssa Bilinski, an assistant professor of health policy at the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote that 'abortion restrictions that force continuation of unexpected and high-risk pregnancies make it all the more critical to ensure robust supports for children and families' in the US. 'There should be no partisan divide over the idea that all children and families deserve the opportunity to thrive,' she wrote.
