Texas abortion ban linked to spike in pregnancy complications, maternal death

Editor’s Note

Pregnancy complications—including life-threatening sepsis—surged in Texas after the state banned abortion in 2021, according to a ProPublica analysis of seven years’ worth of state hospital data.

In a February 20 report, the outlet details how sepsis rates for women hospitalized after second-trimester pregnancy loss rose by more than 50%, with the sharpest increases among those whose fetuses still had a heartbeat upon hospital admission. Additionally, maternal hospital deaths climbed from 79 throughout 2018 and 2019 to 120 throughout 2022 and 2023, even as the national maternal mortality rate declined.

The rise in complications coincided with delays in uterine evacuation, as Texas doctors hesitated to perform procedures that could be legally interpreted as abortions, ProPublica reports. Texas law imposes penalties of up to 99 years in prison for performing abortions outside of these exceptions.

The report highlights several cases where delayed care proved fatal. In one instance, doctors waited 40 hours before inducing labor because the fetus still had a heartbeat, leading to a dangerous infection. In another, a teenager’s organs failed as doctors delayed intervention, ultimately confirming fetal death before performing an emergency procedure.

ProPublica’s analysis, which examined Texas hospital discharge data from 2017 to 2023, showed a stable rate of sepsis before the abortion ban but a sharp increase afterward. Sepsis cases rose from 67 in 2021 to 99 in 2023. The report attributes the rise to delays in evacuating the uterus when fetal cardiac activity was present, significantly increasing the risk of maternal sepsis. Maternal health experts pointed out that delaying care in these scenarios endangers women’s lives unnecessarily.

Despite mounting evidence of harm, the Texas maternal mortality review committee has opted not to examine data from 2022 and 2023. As detailed in the article, the committee is also prohibited by law from reviewing cases involving abortion procedures, even when used to manage miscarriages. Meanwhile, proposed amendments to clarify the law’s medical emergency exceptions have gained some political support, though significant changes appear unlikely in the Republican-controlled legislature.

Pregnancy complications—including life-threatening sepsis—surged in Texas after the state banned abortion in 2021, according to a ProPublica analysis of seven years’ worth of state hospital data.

In a February 20 report, the outlet details how sepsis rates for women hospitalized after second-trimester pregnancy loss rose by more than 50%, with the sharpest increases among those whose fetuses still had a heartbeat upon hospital admission. Additionally, maternal hospital deaths climbed from 79 throughout 2018 and 2019 to 120 throughout 2022 and 2023, even as the national maternal mortality rate declined.

The rise in complications coincided with delays in uterine evacuation, as Texas doctors hesitated to perform procedures that could be legally interpreted as abortions, ProPublica reports. Texas law imposes penalties of up to 99 years in prison for performing abortions outside of these exceptions.

The report highlights several cases where delayed care proved fatal. In one instance, doctors waited 40 hours before inducing labor because the fetus still had a heartbeat, leading to a dangerous infection. In another, a teenager’s organs failed as doctors delayed intervention, ultimately confirming fetal death before performing an emergency procedure.

ProPublica’s analysis, which examined Texas hospital discharge data from 2017 to 2023, showed a stable rate of sepsis before the abortion ban but a sharp increase afterward. Sepsis cases rose from 67 in 2021 to 99 in 2023. The report attributes the rise to delays in evacuating the uterus when fetal cardiac activity was present, significantly increasing the risk of maternal sepsis. Maternal health experts pointed out that delaying care in these scenarios endangers women’s lives unnecessarily.

The Texas maternal mortality review committee has opted not to examine data from 2022 and 2023. As detailed in the article, the committee is also prohibited by law from reviewing cases involving abortion procedures, even when used to manage miscarriages. Meanwhile, proposed amendments to clarify the law’s medical emergency exceptions have gained some political support, though significant changes appear unlikely in the Republican-controlled legislature.