About this episode:

In 2021, Texas passed the extremely restrictive Senate Bill 8 which bans most abortions with very few exceptions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected—as early as five or six weeks of pregnancy. 2022 data suggested a noticeable uptick in infant mortality in Texas. A new study looked into the connection between the two and is among the first to show evidence evaluating the impacts of abortion bans and how other places with severely restrictive laws could also see more infant deaths as a result.

Guests:

Dr. Suzanne Bell is an assistant professor and demographic researcher in the department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Allison Gemmill is an assistant professor, demographer, and perinatal epidemiologist  in the department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

• Analysis Suggests 2021 Texas Abortion Ban Resulted in Increase in Infant Deaths in State in Year After Law Went Into Effect—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Infant Deaths After Texas’ 2021 Ban on Abortion in Early Pregnancy—JAMA Pediatrics

• Episode 656 - The Consequences of Abortion Restrictions Part 1: Spotlight on Texas—Public Health On Call

• Episode 657 - The Consequences of Abortion Restrictions Part 1: Denials of Medical Care—Public Health On Call

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