Nevaeh Crain, an 18-year-old pregnant woman, died in 2023 after being turned away from two hospitals due to complications in her pregnancy. Crain had shown symptoms of sepsis but had been sent home twice from separate emergency rooms. Her death has highlighted the fear and confusion among doctors in states with strict abortion laws who are unsure of how to treat pregnant patients with serious complications. The Texas abortion law threatens prison time for interventions that end a fetal heartbeat and abortion, even in cases of a life-threatening pregnancy. A report by ProPublica found that delays in treating Crain and at least one other pregnant woman who has died in Texas are a consequence of changing practices amid legal threats to doctors.
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Infants died at higher rates after abortion bans in the US, and the implications of this reality hit hard. It’s a heartbreaking consequence of a political landscape that often prioritizes ideology over genuine care for human life. When I reflect on the research showing that more infants are lost post-abortion bans, it elicits a fierce frustration within me. It’s a bitter irony that the very movement posing as ‘pro-life’ ends up producing the opposite effect, leading to increased suffering and loss.
Most of these infants lost to higher mortality rates come from scenarios marked by congenital anomalies and birth defects. In these cases, the decision to carry a pregnancy to term is rife with emotional turmoil.… Continue reading
As a resident of Texas, it’s disheartening to learn about the increase in infant mortality rates in our state following the implementation of the six-week abortion ban. The statistics are alarming, showing a 13 percent rise in infant deaths before their first birthdays, with the primary cause being congenital defects or chromosomal abnormalities. It’s devastating to think about the babies who are born only to endure a short life of pain and suffering due to these conditions.
The idea of forcing women to carry a child to term, knowing that the baby has little chance of survival outside the womb, is simply inhumane.… Continue reading
The devastating news of Krystal Anderson’s passing after giving birth has left me stunned and heartbroken. The fact that she was a longtime Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader and a successful software engineer who had so much to offer makes her loss even more tragic. Her husband Clayton Anderson shared the heartbreaking details of her battle with sepsis, leading to organ failure and ultimately her passing. It is unfathomable to imagine the pain and loss her family must be experiencing.
Krystal’s story sheds light on the alarming issue of maternal mortality rates in the United States, especially among Black women. It is disheartening to learn that Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.… Continue reading
Reflecting on the tragic incident where a baby in Missouri died after the mother mistakenly put her in the oven for a nap, I can’t help but feel a profound sorrow and a sense of disbelief. It’s one of those stories that shakes you to the core and makes you question the fragility of human life.
The incident raises many questions about the circumstances surrounding it. Was it truly a case of postpartum psychosis, as many have suggested? Or was it simply a result of extreme sleep deprivation, which can lead to brain fog and hallucinations? We may never know the exact details, but what is clear is that this unimaginable tragedy highlights the desperate need for better support and care for new mothers, both in terms of postpartum mental health and sleep deprivation.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker