Written by by Luca Cacciatore at texasscorecard.com
A new study out of the University of Houston found that nearly 8,000 more children were born in Texas in 2022 after a law took effect that restricts abortion once a baby’s heartbeat is detected.
Published in January by the university’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality, the study looked at the impact of one year of the Texas Heartbeat Act, passed during the Texas Legislature’s 87th session as Senate Bill 8.
The law took effect September 1, 2021.
Researchers found that nearly 1,000 more children were born every month in 2022 compared to 2021, causing the Texas birth rate to jump by 2 percent at year’s end. That is the first time Texas has experienced a birth rate jump since 2014.
The changes were most pronounced among Hispanic women, with an 8 percent increase. Hispanic women ages 25-44 years old had an even higher spike, at 8.5 percent.