Abortion and Infant Mortality: Termination Does Not Prevent Death

Alison Gemmill et al. claim that in 2022, infant mortality in Texas increased due to its 2021 abortion restrictions. In response, various sources reported that abortion restrictions threaten infants. This is misleading. Gemmill et al.’s study showed that infant deaths increased in Texas primarily because abortion is no longer permitted when ‘congenital anomalies’ are detected in utero. Infant mortality increased because fetal mortality decreased. Comparatively, we can prevent the death of a teenager by causing their death before age thirteen. Doing so does not save their life, however. Likewise, abortion restrictions may lead to more infants dying, since fewer subjects are aborted. But this does not imply that abortion restrictions harm infants. In fact, the opposite seems true, as we shall argue. Specifically, in this essay, we argue that it is reasonable to regard Texas’s 2021 abortion bans as a net benefit for infants. We also highlight ways in which ableist attitudes pervade Gemmill et al.’s study and coverage of it. Next, we discuss the impact of abortion restrictions on pregnant individuals (and their families) when their children are diagnosed with ‘congenital anomalies.’ We end by calling for bipartisan efforts to support these families and to combat infant mortality sensibly.