Overview
- Emergency blood transfusions during first-trimester miscarriage ER visits jumped 54% after Texas criminalized abortion and rose 61% when ectopic and molar cases are excluded
- First-trimester miscarriage visits to emergency departments increased by 25%, suggesting patients return in more critical condition following initial delays
- Physicians report postponing dilation and curettage interventions until patients suffer severe bleeding due to fear of felony prosecution
- The deaths and near-fatal cases of Porsha Ngumezi and Sarah De Pablos Velez underscore the human cost of withholding standard miscarriage treatment
- Although SB 31 codifies life-of-the-mother exceptions, clinicians say it fails to alleviate legal ambiguity that deters early miscarriage care