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Recording available 2/16-5/2
Recording available 2/16-5/2
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Poster Session 2

Category: Healthcare Policy/Economics

Poster Session 2

(546) Changes in Birth Prevalence of Congenital Anomalies Post-Dobbs in States with Varying Abortion Policies

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM  

    Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

  • KK

    Kavisha Khanuja, MD (she/her/hers)

    Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow
    Sidney Kimmel Medical College Thomas Jefferson University
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

    • Coauthor(s)

  • LU

    Laura Uricoechea Stoker, MPH

    Thomas Jefferson University
    Thomas Jefferson University, Pennsylvania, United States

  • BC

    Brooke E. Ciampaglio, BS

    Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson Univeristy
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

  • ER

    Emily F. Rieger, MD

    Resident Physician
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
    Manhasset, New York, United States

  • KV

    Kavita Vinekar, MD

    Thomas Jefferson University
    Thomas Jefferson University, Pennsylvania, United States

  • Huda B. Al-Kouatly, MD

    Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

  • Rodney A. McLaren, Jr, MD

    Maternal Fetal Medicine Attending
    Maimonides Medical Center
    Brooklyn, New York, United States

Objective:
The 2022 Dobbs decision shifted reproductive rights from the federal to the state level, leading to variable abortion access, reduced resources, and potential impacts on birth outcomes. The objective of this study is to examine birth rates of neonates with congenital anomalies pre and post Dobbs by restrictive and protective abortion policies.

Study Design:
This was a population-based cohort study of all live, singleton births complicated by congenital anomalies using data from the U.S. Natality Vital Statistics Database from 2016-2025.  Pre Dobbs included births between 2016 and 2021 and post Dobbs included births in 2023-2025. Births in 2022 (the year of the Dobbs decision) were excluded. Live births were categorized into states with the highest restriction (20 states) and states with most protection (9 states). Differences in the prevalence of live births complicated by congenital anomalies were examined between both groups using univariable analyses.

Results:
Among congenital anomaly-affected live births in restrictive states,  27,361 (0.303%) occurred pre-Dobbs and 11,463 (0.310%) occurred post Dobbs (p=0.067). Of the congenital anomaly-affected live births in protected states, 17,359 (0.267%) occurred pre Dobbs and 6548 (0.266%) occurred post Dobbs (p=0.707). When live births affected by congenital anomalies in individual states were categorized as restrictive, a statistically significant increase was noted post Dobbs amongst the following states: Florida (0.143% vs 0.178%, p=< 0.001), Louisiana (0.351% vs 0.415%, p=0.001), Oklahoma (0.304% vs 0.377%, p=0.001), and Utah (0.790% vs 1.113%, p=< 0.001).

Conclusion:
Following the Dobbs decision, the overall prevalence of congenital anomaly-affected live births remained stable in both restrictive and protective states. However, several individual restrictive states demonstrated significant increases. Continued surveillance is needed to monitor long-term trends and inform health system planning in regions with limited abortion access.