Webinar Discusses Relationship between Abortion and Pre-Term Birth

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 of pre-term birth and discusses the growing body of research on the topics as it relates to both clinical practice and a woman’s informed consent.

Preterm 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 burden.

In the past few years, an ever increasing number of studies have demonstrated that elective abortions in the first and second trimester to be associated with an increased risk of subsequent spontaneous preterm 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.