Higher infant mortality rates are associated with laws restricting abortion. This has been shown by a published study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM).
In the study, researchers analyzed data on infant deaths in the United States from 2014 to 2018. They classified 48 states (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) by the number of restrictive abortion laws they had, and also took into account the distance from the patients’ residence to the abortion facility and basic demographic characteristics.
States with 11 to 12 laws restricting abortion had 16% higher infant death rates compared to states with the least restrictive abortion laws (one to five laws). However, increasing distance to an abortion center was not statistically associated with an increased risk of infant death.
More deaths also occurred if parents were black, had a high school education or less, or smoked during pregnancy. Scientists believe that additional restrictions on abortion worsen the situation of vulnerable groups.
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