Dramatic increase in pregnant women dying in Texas following abortion ban

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - In an NBC exclusive, there's been a dramatic rise in the death of pregnant women in Texas following the state's abortion ban.

The number of women in Texas who died while pregnant, during labor or soon after childbirth drastically spiked after the state's 2021 ban on abortion care.

From 2019 to 2022, the rate of maternal death in Texas jumped by 56%, compared to just 11% nationwide during the same period.

For Hispanic women, rates grew from 14.5% to 18.9%, but rates in white women nearly double, from 20% to 39.1%.

For Black women, who historically have a higher chance of dying while pregnant, during childbirth, or soon after, climbed from 31.6% to 43.6%.

While pregnancy deaths spiked overall during the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths have consistently risen in Texas following the state's ban on abortion.