Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision overturned the federal right to abortion in 2022, infant mortality rates have risen by 7% in the United States. 

According to Dr. Pavarti Singh, lead author of a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, more babies with fatal health issues have likely been carried to term in states that now have abortion bans. Singh argues that these statistics demonstrate the negative effects abortion bans can have on health outcomes.

This study is not the first of its kind; researchers from John Hopkins University found similar trends in Texas after an abortion ban took effect. 

However, the recent study was the first to analyze nationally representative data. Singh and her colleagues predict higher infant mortality rates will persist unless states change current laws that restrict abortion.