Premature baby link to abortion type

SCOTTISH scientists have found that women who have had a surgical abortion are at a higher risk of having premature babies in subsequent pregnancies. There was no increased risk for women who underwent a medical or drug induced abortion.

Professor Siladitya Bhattacharya and his team from Aberdeen University found that, compared to women who had never been pregnant before, a woman who had had a surgical abortion was 37 per cent more likely to give birth prematurely. Premature babies are those born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

Prof Bhattacharya said: “Many women start their reproductive life with an abortion in their first pregnancy. Up until now what has not been entirely clear is the effect these abortions may have on subsequent childbearing.”

The researchers analysed anonymised Scottish data for more than 620,000 women between 1981 and 2007.