New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals a striking 17% decline in maternal mortality after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, defying alarmist predictions.
The decline tells us two things. First, it proves that protecting preborn children does not trigger a maternal health catastrophe, as critics often warned. The evidence is now clear: Pro-life laws did not negatively impact maternal mortality; in fact, maternal mortality has improved since legislating on abortion was returned to the states.
Second, and possibly most urgent, there’s still work to be done to confront the persistent tragedy of maternal mortality in the United States. Despite the drop to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births, 669 mothers were lost in 2023 alone—the highest rate among high-income countries.
That number, as significant as it is heartbreaking, rests…
