Infant mortality was trending downward until 2022, when it increased for the first time in 20 years by 3%. Negative trends in maternal and infant health have coincided with legislation that restricts abortion access, and research has shown that infants die at higher rates in states with stricter abortion bans. A similar study also published in JAMA Pediatrics earlier this year found infant mortality rose by 13% in Texas after it banned abortions after six weeks in 2021. Also in that study, infant deaths caused by congenital abnormalities increased more than overall deaths.
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