Doctor Discusses How Abortion Raises Woman’s Premature Birth Risk 37%

National   |   Nora Sullivan   |   Jul 4, 2013   |   12:16PM   |   Washington, DC

In a fascinating new webinar sponsored by Heartbeat International and the Charlotte Lozier Institute, CLI adjunct scholar Dr. Elizabeth Johnson gave a fascinating presentation on induced abortion and the subsequent risk of pre-term birth.

In her talk, Dr. Johnson describes the serious public health concerns associated with pre-term birth and discusses the growing body of research on the topic as it relates to both clinical practice and a woman’s informed consent.

Pre-term birth is one of the most significant challenges facing the field of obstetrics and a serious public health issue. Pre-term birth is associated with substantial problems for families including significant infant mortality and morbidity, parental stressors, and financial burdens.

In the past few years, an ever-increasing number of studies have demonstrated that elective abortions in the first and second trimester are associated with an increased risk of subsequent spontaneous pre-term birth. A 2012 study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which looked at 26 years of birth data, showed that a single induced abortion increased a woman’s risk of having a premature baby by 37%.

Dr. Johnson’s webinar can be viewed here and her paper on the same subject, co-authored by Dr. Steven Calvin, can be read on the CLI site.

LifeNews Note: Nora Sullivan writes for the Lozier Institute.