A study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed whether abortion bans enacted after the Dobbs decision were associated with changes in pregnancy-associated and maternal mortality in the United States.
The cohort study examined 12,993 pregnancy-associated deaths from 2018 to 2023 across 14 states with abortion bans and 37 comparison jurisdictions. Researchers found no statistically significant increase in maternal mortality, pregnancy-associated mortality, or related causes of death in the early post-ban period.
The authors noted that state-level results varied but none reached statistical significance. They also emphasized that the relatively short follow-up period and wide confidence intervals limit longer-term conclusions.
Commenting on the findings, Michael J. New said maternal mortality declined in both states with abortion restrictions and those without, citing a 2.4% decline in Texas and a 3.3% decline in other states with pro-life laws. He described the study as methodologically rigorous and argued that none of the 14 states with abortion bans experienced statistically significant increases in maternal mortality.