The committee made the decision in September, reasoning that the move will skip a backlog of cases and allow it to review more recent deaths, thus providing more relevant policy recommendations.
Jennifer Shuford, MD, commissioner of the Texas health department, said the committee provided recommendations in 2024 based on 2020 findings: “I am concerned that this means the committee’s recommendations to policy makers are still not based on the most recent case cohorts available.”
Bypassing these cases means the committee will not review maternal death cases in the 18 months after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
At least three women have died in Texas because of care delays related to the state’s trigger abortion ban, according to ProPublica. Texas outlaws abortion from the moment of fertilization. An exception is if the pregnant patient has a life-threatening physical condition exacerbated by the pregnancy; rape and incest are not exceptions.
In a September meeting, committee members said they have, in past years, skipped cases to review those closer to the present, according to the Post.
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