Infant Mortality Rose 7% After Roe v. Wade Overturned

Author: Ohio State University
Published: 21 Oct 2024 - Updated: 31 Aug 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Findings

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This research presents peer-reviewed findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, on how the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision affected infant survival across the United States. Conducted by Ohio State University epidemiologists Maria Gallo and Parvati Singh using a national birth outcomes database spanning 2018 through 2023, the analysis found a 7 percent rise in overall infant mortality and a 10 percent rise in deaths among babies born with congenital anomalies in the seven to 14 months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, amounting to 247 more infant deaths per month than expected. The work matters because it documents a public health consequence of restricting abortion care that few anticipated, connecting reproductive policy to measurable outcomes for newborns, and it carries particular weight for families facing fatal genetic conditions, for disabled people and seniors who depend on stable access to health care, and for the policymakers and clinicians who shape and deliver that care.*

At a Glance

• 1 - The national analysis appeared in JAMA Pediatrics on October 21, 2024. It was conducted by Ohio State University researchers Maria Gallo and Parvati Singh.
• 2 - The elevated death rate did not continue beyond 14 months after the decision. Whether it returns remains an open question tied to state policy changes.
• 3 - Researchers counted 247 more total infant deaths per month than expected after Dobbs. They also found 204 more monthly deaths than expected from chromosomal and genetic conditions.
• 4 - The study drew on a national birth outcomes database covering 2018 through 2023, when monthly infant mortality averaged 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The additional deaths traced back to people who became pregnant in the first part of 2022.

Topic Definition

Dobbs Decision Infant Mortality Effect

The Dobbs decision infant mortality effect describes the measurable rise in US infant deaths observed in the months after the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade and ended federal protection of abortion access. Researchers at Ohio State University, publishing in JAMA Pediatrics, documented a 7 percent increase in overall infant mortality and a 10 percent increase in deaths among babies born with congenital anomalies during the seven to 14 months following the ruling. The concept captures how restricting abortion care can produce broader public health consequences that were not widely anticipated, particularly for pregnancies affected by fatal genetic or chromosomal conditions, and it points to the wider human toll that reproductive policy can carry for families, healthcare providers, and lawmakers weighing the full impact of abortion restrictions.

Overview

U.S. babies died at a higher rate in the months following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, and infant mortality was highest among those born with chromosomal or genetic abnormalities, new research has found.

The findings mirror previous research analyzing the experience in Texas after a ban on abortions in early pregnancy and illuminate the consequences of restricting access to abortion care, said Maria Gallo and Parvati Singh, researchers from The Ohio State University who conducted the national analysis appearing online today (Oct. 21) in JAMA Pediatrics.

"In the seven to 14 months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, we saw a 7% increase in infant mortality, and a 10% increase in those babies born with congenital anomalies," said Singh, an assistant professor of epidemiology.

From 2018 through 2023, monthly infant mortality averaged 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births and mortality with congenital anomalies averaged 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. When the researchers compared the months after Dobbs with the months before, they found 247 more total infant deaths per month than expected and 204 more deaths per month than expected due to chromosomal and genetic conditions.

"I'm not sure that people expected infant mortality rates to increase following Dobbs. It's not necessarily what people were thinking about. But when you restrict access to health care it can cause a broader impact on public health than can be foreseen," said Gallo, a professor of epidemiology.

This study doesn't reflect variations from state to state, but the researchers said they would expect the impact to be more pronounced in states with more restrictive abortion laws.

To determine the effect of the Dobbs decision on infant mortality, and on infant mortality due to congenital problems in particular, the researchers used a national birth outcomes database to look for patterns from 2018 to 2023.

"Birth outcomes are usually pretty stable in any population, and in a large population like the entire U.S., infant mortality is typically quite consistent except for some predictable seasonal peaks and valleys," Singh said. The researchers accounted for those routine changes when analyzing the data.

"Babies born to people who became pregnant in the first part of 2022 are where we see these additional deaths," Singh said.

The researchers did not see an elevated rate of infant death beyond 14 months after the decision, Gallo said.

"Will this continue past this time period? That's an open question," she said. "It could be that, yes, it will because (abortion care) access is shut down in some states. But it also could be that eventually more state policymakers are seeing that this isn't what people in the state want and more will pass constitutional amendments to protect access."

Going forward, the researchers would like to look at the impact based on different populations, including those who typically struggle more when care is limited, and to examine maternal mortality rates.

"There's a broader human toll to consider, including mental health consequences of being denied abortion care or being forced to carry a fetus with a fatal genetic abnormality to term," Singh said.

Related Information

• U.S. Supreme Court's Credibility Plummets to Historic Low: Recent poll reveals deep distrust in the US judicial system, with 33% of Americans expressing no confidence that courts will act in their best interest.
• Pregnant Women Receive Least Support in States with Most Restrictive Abortion Legislation: U.S. states that have the most severe restrictions on abortion may also have the poorest reproductive health care and support infrastructure.
• Abortion Opinions Tied to Religion and Race Views: Research provides empirical evidence of the strong relationship between racial attitudes and beliefs about abortion rights.
• Psychiatric Harm from Restricting Access to Abortion: Severe stress from an inability to access abortion harms the fetus and can trigger psychiatric illness, suicide, or postpartum psychosis in the mother.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What was the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health was the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal protection of abortion access and returning abortion regulation to individual states.

What is a congenital anomaly

A congenital anomaly is a structural or functional condition present at birth, often caused by chromosomal or genetic factors, that can affect a baby's health and chances of survival.

What is infant mortality rate

Infant mortality rate measures the number of deaths of babies under one year of age per 1,000 live births, and it is widely used as an indicator of population health.

Why would restricting abortion affect infant mortality

Limiting abortion access can force some pregnancies involving fatal genetic conditions to continue to term, which researchers say contributes to more infant deaths and broader public health effects.

Did the study measure differences between states

No, the analysis looked at national data and did not break down state variations, though the researchers expect the impact to be greater in states with more restrictive abortion laws.

What is JAMA Pediatrics

JAMA Pediatrics is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association that focuses on research related to the health and care of children.

Does the study address maternal health

The current study focuses on infant mortality, but the researchers plan to examine maternal mortality and the mental health consequences of being denied abortion care in future work.

How can readers find related research on abortion policy

Readers can explore peer-reviewed journals, university research centers, and public health organizations that publish studies on reproductive policy and its effects on infant and maternal outcomes.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: What gives this study its force is the stability of the data it disturbs - infant mortality in a population as large as the United States rarely shifts outside of predictable seasonal patterns, so a sudden increase traced to people who became pregnant in early 2022 is difficult to dismiss as noise. The researchers were careful about the limits of their work, noting that the elevated death rate did not persist beyond 14 months and that state-level differences were not measured, though they expect harsher effects where abortion laws are most restrictive. For the disability community in particular, the finding that deaths rose most among infants with chromosomal and genetic conditions speaks to a difficult reality about pregnancies involving fatal diagnoses, and it foreshadows further questions the team hopes to answer about maternal mortality and the mental health toll of being denied care - a reminder that the human cost of this policy reaches well beyond the numbers on the page.*

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Ohio State University and published on 21 Oct 2024, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.