New Review Links Abortion to Higher Risk of Preterm Birth

Dozens of Studies Find Women With a History of Abortion More Likely
to Later Have a Preterm Birth

Oct. 28, 2008

Researchers studying findings from dozens of studies have concluded that abortion is linked to an increased risk of preterm birth among subsequently born babies.

In a paper recently published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a Canadian research team examined data from 37 studies and found that having a prior abortion increased the risk of subsequent preterm birth by 35 percent, while having more than one prior abortion increased the risk by 93 percent.1 (Preterm birth is defined as a birth that takes place before 37 weeks gestation.)

Citations
1. P.S. Shah and J. Zao, "Induced termination of pregnancy and low birthweight and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis," BJOG 116(11): 1425-1442 (2009).