Examining the infant mortality rate since landmark SCOTUS decision in Dobbs v. Jackson

(InvestigateTV) — In June 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion and shifting access to the procedure to a state-by-state decision.

In the months that followed, an increasing number of states banned the procedure. Researchers shed light on what they say are some concerning consequences.

The findings, published in October 2024, show infant mortality increased after the High Court decided on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The Story of a Mother Caught in the Middle

Samantha Cassiano was expecting her fifth child, but she wasn’t expecting this.

In December 2022, Samantha’s unborn daughter was diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal birth defect that occurs when a fetus’s brain and skull don’t fully develop.

Six months earlier, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, which had established a constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

“When I asked, ‘What are my options?’ - I was told I didn’t have any options.”

After the ruling, numerous states introduced full or partial abortion bans. While they all have exceptions protecting the mother’s life, including Texas, where Samantha lives, that wasn’t a factor in her pregnancy.

“I had to plan a funeral while feeling my child move inside of me.”

Baby Halo was born two months early on March 29, 2023.

“She fought for 4 hours, and her father held her until she died.”

Examining the Research

According to a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics, Halo’s story isn’t unique.

Researchers at Ohio State University looked at national infant mortality trends in the year and a half following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Using historical data as a comparison, they identified three months that jumped about 7% higher than average.

Lead author Parvati Singh says during each of those months, about 250 more babies died than expected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, infant mortality had been on the decline for nearly three decades.

Deaths were highest among babies with congenital abnormalities, which has been a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States for decades.

Dr. Aaron Wannian, a Chicago OB-GYN who wasn’t involved with the study, says some of the increase could be attributed to babies being born that may have otherwise been terminated.

She believes it points to widespread impacts that extend beyond the child.

Michael New, an assistant professor at the Catholic University of America, says he believes all human life is precious and prenatal diagnoses are not always accurate.

“Pro-Life laws are not causing an increase in congenital defects,” New says. “What they’re doing is they are preventing these children from being aborted.”

In addition to the impacts of congenital abnormality, Singh says she believes the increase in deaths could be linked to health care providers, leaving states with restrictive abortion laws.

“What that creates is Reproductive Care Deserts,” Singh says.

The CDC says infant mortality is an important indicator of the overall health of a society.

According to New, that’s a significant factor Singh’s study fails to address.

“It doesn’t provide evidence that infant mortality increased faster in states that enacted abortion laws,” New continues. “It doesn’t compare if mortality in states that have strong pro-life laws to if mortality rates in states with permissive abortion policies.”

Singh acknowledges that her work on its own has limitations, but the findings, she adds, have been ed by other academics in the field.

As the body of research surrounding abortion restrictions grows, she hopes informed policymaking will grow with it.

An August 2024 study out of Johns Hopkins University shows a 13% increase in infant mortality in Texas following the adoption of a law there banning most abortions at around six weeks of pregnancy.

The Texas Heartbeat Act took effect in 2021, a year before the more restrictive decision.

Follow-Up Study Findings

Lead author Alison Gemmell released a follow-up study in February 2025, analyzing the Dobbs decision’s potential impact on infant mortality in each state.

“We definitely see a very pronounced increase in Texas and Kentucky,” Gemmell says.

Those states are among 12 today that have implemented total abortion bans, and most have some kind of restriction in place.

As for whether the increase in infant mortality will continue, Ohio State’s experts say time and further research will be needed to know if this is an ongoing trend.

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