The effect of abortion method on the outcome of subsequent pregnancy

Abstract

Infants born to women following a previous induced abortion, primarily by the D&C method, showed an excess of low birth weight. However, when women with medical illnesses were excluded, the excess was very slight. The data suggested that the greater the dilatation at D&C, the lower the birth weight. Women requiring induced abortions should have them as early as possible to minimize cervical damage and its consequences.

PIP: The literature on possible long-term sequelae of induced abortion, particularly related to the outcome of future desired pregnancies, is reviewed. In addition, the results of a historical prospective study of the late sequelae of induced abortion in Jerusalem are reported. Information on women who had undergone legal, induced abortions during 1967-76 was used in the study and compared with hospital records for subsequent pregnancies. Infants of women who had undergone a previous induced abortion, particularly a D and C (dilatation and curettage), exhibited an excess of low birth weight. The birth weight of the subsequent infants was directly related to the amount of dilatation, which would be correlated with cervical damage. Low gestation ages, leading to low birth weights, were also evident among the infants of women who had undergone previous induced abortions. The abortion group also demonstrated a higher rate of postpartum bleeding as compared to the nonabortion group. Women should aim for an induced abortion as early in pregnancy as possible in order to minimize the danger of cervical damage.