What happened
Infant deaths in Texas rose by 12.8% after the state banned almost all abortions in 2021, versus 1.8% nationwide, researchers said Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Deaths attributed to birth defects jumped 22.9% in Texas while dropping 3.1% in the rest of the country.
Who said what
The findings "add to a body of evidence showing infants born in states with more abortion restrictions are likelier to die before they're 1 year old," Axios said. "Behind these numbers are people" who "had to stay pregnant for an additional 20 weeks, carrying a pregnancy that they knew likely wouldn't result in a live newborn baby," Dr. Erika Werner at Tufts Medical Center said to NBC News.
A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said "thousands of children have been given a chance at life" thanks to the 2021 ban.
What next?
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, "the anti-abortion movement won the battle," Charles Sykes said at The Atlantic. "But it may be in the process of losing the war," with an entire generation "watching the indifference and cruelty toward women and wondering whether this movement really is 'pro-life.'"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The dazzling coral gardens of Raja AmpatThe Week Recommends Region of Indonesia is home to perhaps the planet’s most photogenic archipelago.
-
Trump’s White House ballroom: a threat to the republic?Talking Point Trump be far from the first US president to leave his mark on the Executive Mansion, but to critics his remodel is yet more overreach
-
‘Never more precarious’: the UN turns 80The Explainer It’s an unhappy birthday for the United Nations, which enters its ninth decade in crisis
-
More women are using more testosterone despite limited researchThe explainer There is no FDA-approved testosterone product for women
-
Climate change is getting under our skinUnder the radar Skin conditions are worsening because of warming temperatures
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
Food may contribute more to obesity than exerciseUnder the radar The devil's in the diet
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Deadly fungus tied to a pharaoh's tomb may help fight cancerUnder the radar A once fearsome curse could be a blessing
-
Climate change can impact our gut healthUnder the radar The gastrointestinal system is being gutted
