Effects of Pregnancy Termination On Subsequent Pregnancies

Effects of Pregnancy Termination on Subsequent Pregnancies

Among the questions we recently received, is a mother who lost a child (still-birth) and the following pregnancy, the doctors found meconium when the baby was born. So she was asking what could have been the problem.
Our consultant gynecology expert interviewed her a bit and she admitted to have had procured an abortion. (according to the expert the height of the mother, and a history of having procured an abortion were the main suspects...they are the first 2 things he asked about)
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I am not so much into the debate about abortion right now. But recent studies show that more than 40% of births in Kenya are are unplanned. The figure rises to 47% among teenagers. Only about 39% of women use contraceptives and it's a third of these that rely on a modern method. Reports indicate that there are about310,000 abortions every year in Kenya. 21,000 women are admitted each year due to abortion related complications from having unsafe abortions. So whether we are against abortion (pro-life) or are pro-choice, we can all agree that alot of unsafe abortions are taking place, for a myriad of different reasons.
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Alright. Abortion has a big effect on the uterus, sometimes bringing about complications when the woman tries to get pregnant later in future.

some research suggests a possible link between abortion and an increased risk of:
*.Vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy
*.Preterm birth
*.Low birth weight
*.Placenta problems, such as retained placenta

As it happens, the type of complication to anticipate is somehow dependant on the type of abortion that the woman procured. 
For example,D&C (Dilation and Curettage) which involves dilating the cervix brings about possible damage to the cervix, resulting from forcible dilatation during the operation. 

The risk of having a premature delivery or a low birthweight baby tends to be higher (but not significantly) among women whose first pregnancy is terminated by medically induced abortion.
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Bottom-line is, for women who procured an abortion and are now planning to have a child, it is advisable to inform your doctor of this, so that proper examination is carried out on the cervix and uterus to prevent complications from occuring during the pregnancy.