Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared.

Rate of sepsis shot up more than 50% for women hospitalized when they lost their pregnancies in the second trimester, ProPublica found.

Surge in this life-threatening condition was most pronounced for patients whose fetus may still have had a heartbeat when they arrived at the hospital.

Sepsis can lead to permanent kidney failure, brain damage and dangerous blood clotting.

ProPublica analyzed Texas hospital discharge data from 2017 to 2023 , the most recent full year available.

In 2021 , 67 patients who lost a pregnancy in the second trimester were diagnosed with sepsis.

In 2022 , the state made it a felony to terminate any pregnancy, with few exceptions.

ProPublica looked at data compiled from death certificates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

The rate of maternal deaths in Texas rose 33% between 2019 and 2023 even as the national rate fell by 7.5% .

At least seven bills related to repealing or creating new exceptions to abortion laws have been introduced in Texas .