Multiple Abortions Tied to Future Preterm Risks, Finnish Study Shows

Oct. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Preterm deliveries are often fraught with anxiety and concern — not what a woman needs when her hopes are high for a healthy and safe delivery. But many women who have had a past abortion may not realize that they could be at higher risk for this scenario.

A new study in Finland shows that women who have had three or more abortions have an increased risk of preterm delivery or low birthweight babies in future pregnancies.

The study, one of the largest involving induced abortion and subsequent births, was reported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22933527) and published Aug. 29, 2012 by Europe’s leading reproductive journal, Human Reproduction. A more complete report was published in the Aug. 28, 2012 issue of Science Daily.

The study said that among women who had had three or more abortions, there was a statistically significant increased risk (compared to those who had had no abortion) of 35% of having a baby born prematurely (before 37 weeks), as well as a 225% increased risk of very low birth weight, in subsequent pregnancies.

Abortion’s Risks, Despite Good Health Care
The authors of the research said that prior induced abortions, particularly repeat induced abortions “correlated with an increased risk of some health problems at first birth, even in a country with good health care quality.”

The report concluded, “In terms of public health and practical implications, health education should contain information of the potential health hazards of repeat IAs [induced abortions], including very preterm birth and low birthweight in subsequent pregnancies.” (See the original study in Human Reproduction (http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/27/11/3315).) The study reaffirms the problems reported in studies on premature births over the last few years.

Women in La Grange, La Grange Park, Brookfield, Lyons, Countryside, Western Springs, Westchester, Hinsdale, Berwyn and nearby cities who are considering abortion and are concerned about its risks should call Women’s Care Center of La Grange http://www.pregnancychoices4me.org, at 708-352-5000 for more information.