Risks of later abortions on subsequent births

New research indicates that a prior induced abortion poses only a very small risk of negative effects on births from subsequent pregnancies, but the risk is higher if the abortion is performed later in the pregnancy.

The Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica study included 418,690 first-time mothers with singleton births between 1996 and 2013 in Finland. Investigators observed an increased risk of extremely preterm birth and very low birthweight among women with late abortion(s) when compared with those with early abortion(s).

When the analysis was restricted to only one abortion, women who had had a late abortion showed a higher risk of only extremely preterm birth compared with women who had experienced an early abortion.