A Texas woman died in September 2021 after doctors delayed treating her miscarriage for 40 hours, just days after the state's six-week abortion ban took effect, according to a ProPublica investigation published on Wednesday.
Josseli Barnica, a 28-year-old mother, went to hospital with cramps on 2 September 2021, the day after the ban came into force. When her bleeding worsened, doctors concluded a miscarriage was 'inevitable' and her cervix was dilated at nearly 9cm, leaving her vulnerable to infection. However, because the fetus still had a heartbeat, doctors could not intervene unless a 'medical emergency'—a term undefined in the law—developed.
After 40 hours, the fetal heartbeat stopped, and doctors administered medication to speed up labour. Barnica delivered the fetus but continued bleeding at home. Days later, she returned to hospital and died of sepsis involving 'products of conception', according to her autopsy. Experts told ProPublica the death was 'preventable' and that delaying care ran against medical standards.
Barnica is the third woman ProPublica has reported to have died in recent years after being denied legal abortion or having medical care delayed. US abortion bans technically permit procedures in emergencies, but doctors say vague wording forces them to wait until patients are near death.
HCA Healthcare, which treated Barnica, said doctors exercised independent judgment and that the hospital complies with state and federal laws. The case has become a political issue ahead of the US election, with Democrats highlighting abortion rights and Republicans largely avoiding the topic.
