Abortion bans in the United States are exacerbating existing health disparities as births increase in high-risk populations and infant mortality rises disproportionately, new research suggests.

Increases in infant mortality have been found in U.S. states that enacted abortion bans or severe restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling that guaranteed a right to the procedure,

But the effects — sampled from more than a dozen states that had abortion bans — aren’t felt evenly, according to studies published in JAMA Thursday. Start the day smarter.

The findings showed the highest mortality occurred among infants who were Black, lived in Southern states or had fetal birth defects.

A pair of new studies shows the fallout of restrictive reproductive healthcare policies: More babies were born in states that enacted abortion bans between 2021 and 2023, and infant mortality also rose in these states.