Our Mission

Evidence-based advocacy for reproductive liberty and infant welfare

Core Mission Statement

The evidence-based foundation for our advocacy work

The Society for the Prevention of Infanticide advocates for abortion rights to protect infant welfare.

We base our advocacy on comprehensive historical and contemporary research. The evidence is clear: abortion access reduces infanticide and improves infant welfare outcomes.

We seek constitutional protection for reproductive rights through a Twenty-Eighth Amendment.

This mission responds to measurable harm already occurring in the United States.

Learn About Dr. Milner

Where Abortion Is Restricted Today

These policy differences matter for infant safety and maternal health outcomes.

Timeline: 1950-2025

When access changes, outcomes change. This has happened before.

What Happens When Access Changes

Fifty years of data shows the relationship between abortion access and infant safety.

Day-of-Birth Infant Deaths as Access Expanded and Contracted

United States, 1950s to Present

Data Note: Pre-1973 and post-2022 values reflect directional trends. 1973-2022 reflects measured decline in day-of-birth homicides.
Sources: CDC historical data, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Milner, University Press of America.

Change in Day-of-Birth Homicides After Roe v. Wade

-69%
Reduction in day-of-birth infant homicides after Roe v. Wade

The clearest measurable shift occurred after national protection began.

What Has Happened Since Protection Ended

National abortion protection ended in June 2022. Early data reveals concerning trends in states with total bans.

0
States with Total Bans
Zero exceptions for rape or incest
0
% Infant Mortality Increase
Overall rate in ban states
0
% Increase for Black Infants
Disproportionate impact

Infant Mortality Rates: A Widening Gap

Deaths per 1,000 live births by state abortion policy status

247
Estimated excess infant deaths in ban states (2022-2024)
2.4 years
Progress reversed in ban states based on historical trends
27%
Higher rate in ban states vs. access states by end of 2024

Understanding the Connection Between Abortion Bans and Infant Deaths

Abortion bans force women to carry nonviable pregnancies to term. These pregnancies involve fetuses with fatal conditions incompatible with life. Without access to abortion care, women must endure full pregnancies knowing their infant will die within hours or days of birth.

Key Finding: Research shows the correlation between total abortion bans and infant mortality increases appears consistently across all 13 ban states. The effect remains after controlling for socioeconomic factors, healthcare access, and demographic variables.

The impact extends beyond nonviable pregnancies. Abortion bans create healthcare deserts by driving obstetricians out of ban states. Maternal health services collapse as providers relocate to states where they can practice full-spectrum care.

States with total bans had lower infant mortality rates than the national average before Dobbs. The post-ban reversal represents measurable harm to infant welfare. This outcome contradicts claims that abortion restrictions protect life.

Data Sources and Methodology JAMA Pediatrics, April 2025 • Kaiser Family Foundation, December 2025 • CDC Vital Statistics • State Health Department Reports

Our Evidence Base

Our work draws from peer-reviewed research, government data, and historical analysis.

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Government Data

  • ✓ CDC infant homicide data
  • ✓ Kaiser Family Foundation policy tracking
  • ✓ Guttmacher Institute data
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Academic Research

  • ✓ Historical infanticide studies
  • ✓ JAMA Pediatrics research
  • ✓ Cross-cultural analysis

Methodological Transparency

We acknowledge methodological limitations. Historical estimates vary depending on society and time period. Modern data controls for confounding factors including Safe Haven laws.

All claims link to primary sources. Full methodology available for verification.

What We Do

Education, advocacy, and research work together to reduce infant deaths.

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Education

We publish research on the connection between reproductive rights and infant welfare. Our materials inform public discourse and policy decisions.

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Advocacy

We promote the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to establish constitutional protection. We provide tools for citizens to contact representatives.

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Research

We continue documenting patterns in infanticide, infant mortality, and child maltreatment as abortion policies change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click any question below to reveal detailed research-backed answers about infanticide prevention and reproductive rights.

Infanticide is the deliberate killing of an infant. Researchers distinguish between:

  • Neonaticide: Killing within 24 hours of birth (most common form)
  • Infanticide: Killing during the first year of life
  • Filicide: Parent killing child of any age

This differs fundamentally from abortion, which terminates pregnancy before birth. Historical data shows infanticide occurred in virtually every human society when contraception and safe abortion were unavailable.

Sources: American Journal of Psychiatry, Archives of Women's Mental Health, Dr. Milner's historical research

No—the opposite occurs. Research consistently shows abortion access reduces infanticide:

  • 69% decline in day-of-birth homicides after Roe v. Wade (1973-2020)
  • Historical pattern: Every society with abortion access shows reduced infanticide
  • Mechanism: Abortion provides alternative before birth, when emotional attachment is lower

The logic is straightforward: people faced with unwanted pregnancy have three options—carry to term and keep/adopt, abortion, or infanticide. Removing abortion increases pressure toward the remaining alternatives.

Sources: CDC homicide data, Journal of Law and Economics, cross-cultural anthropological studies

Proposed constitutional text: "The right to terminate unwanted, nonviable pregnancies shall not be infringed."

Why constitutional protection matters:

  • Prevents state-by-state variations that create geographical inequality
  • Establishes federal baseline protection beyond legislative changes
  • Protects against future Supreme Court decisions that might further restrict rights

"Nonviable" language addresses concerns about late-term procedures:

  • Focuses protection on pre-viability pregnancies (before ~22-24 weeks)
  • Balances reproductive liberty with developing fetal interests
  • Maintains medical exceptions for maternal health and fetal anomalies

Historical precedent shows constitutional protection prevents the patchwork of laws that create dangerous situations where some people have access and others don't.

Learn more: Contact your representatives about supporting this amendment.

Support constitutional protection:

  • Sign our petition for the Twenty-Eighth Amendment
  • Contact representatives about reproductive rights legislation
  • Share research about the connection between access and infant welfare

Individual actions:

  • Support abortion funds helping people access care
  • Volunteer with reproductive health organizations
  • Help normalize conversations about reproductive choice

Every action—from signing petitions to challenging misconceptions—contributes to an environment where reproductive choices are protected and infanticide becomes increasingly rare.

Primary sources include:

  • JAMA Pediatrics infant mortality studies (2024-2025)
  • CDC homicide and vital statistics databases
  • Dr. Milner's published research spanning 4,000 years
  • Cross-cultural anthropological studies

Independent verification:

  • All statistical claims link to governmental or peer-reviewed sources
  • Historical patterns documented across multiple academic disciplines
  • Modern data controls for confounding variables

Visit our Publications page for complete bibliography and methodology.

Get Involved

Choose your next step. Every action helps protect infant lives.

Sign the Petition

Add your name in support of constitutional protection for reproductive rights.

Sign Now →

Contact Congress

Find your representatives and send a message about reproductive rights.

Find Your Rep →

Share the Research

Send the research link to friends, family, or colleagues.

Contact Us →