McGill University 2013 study of abortion and subsequent preterm pregnancy

2013 McGill University  study, Feb 2013 issue of:    J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2013;35(2):138–143 “The McGill article is another addition to the weight of evidence that there is a strong and alarming correlation between abortion and subsequent preterm birth.  Tremendous effort is expended trying to decrease the heavy burden of preterm birth.  The NIH, other federal agencies, many research universities, and the March of Dimes all focus on preterm birth risk factors with one glaring exception – previous abortion.  This failure/refusal to connect the dots is a blot on our profession.  Informed consent for abortion must include this clear correlation so that women will have all the facts.” The researchers found that, on average, women who had one prior induced abortion were 45% more likely to have premature births by 32 weeks, 71% more likely to have premature births by 28 weeks, and 117% more likely to have premature births by 26 weeks.  (aaplog note: This association was stronger with decreasing gestational age—a fact which has been noted in previous studies.) The study can be accessed at: http://www.jogc.com/abstracts/full/201302_Obstetrics_5.pdf