Washington, DC (04 August 2008) – New statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics are adding more evidence to the body of research surrounding the link between abortion and infant death.
"Here is another of the unseen consequences of abortion," said Leslie Tignor, director of American Life League's Associate Program. "We're seeing that abortion not only ends the life of a child; it also endangers the life of that child's future siblings."
Tignor is project manager of "Baby Steps," a DVD that features detailed 4D ultrasound pictures of preborn babies from eight to 34 weeks throughout their 16 stages of development.
The NCHS' "Infant Mortality Statistics from the 2005 Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set," (Vol. 57, No. 2) of the National Vital Statistics Report released July 30, shows that preterm births were responsible for over 36.5 percent of infant deaths in 2005.
The NCHS' findings affirm past studies that show women who have had abortions are more likely to give birth to preterm babies.
The 2007 Journal of Reproductive Medicine reported that nearly 32 percent of "very preterm" U.S. births – before 32 weeks gestation – are due to the mother's prior abortions.
"American Life League will continue to work to make women aware of abortion's ripple effect," Tignor said. "Not only does abortion hurt women, preborn babies and their families, but it could also risk the life of future children. Abortion leads to death, not only for the preborn child killed by abortion, but also for the many children susceptible to preterm birth and infant death.
Please before going ballistic, note that "Abortion causes increased preterm births" does not equal "Preterm births are always caused by abortion."
For those who haven't studied logic in math class:
Effect D can have more than one cause. You understand this all the time.
Effect D, Car Crash, can be caused by:
A. Driver error -- Speeding, tailgating, drinking, putting on makeup instead of paying attention, etc.
B. Maintenance shortcomings -- Bald tires, worn brakes, cracked tie-rod assemblies, etc.
C. Road conditions -- Ice, snow, fog, water, etc.
In fact, usually there will be more than one cause.
It's the same for preterm births. They might be caused by things the mother had control over, or things she had no control over. And an induced abortion is a major thing she has control over.
When a woman gives birth, her cervix is softened and opened gradually by natural processes. In an abortion, her cervix is forced open when natural processes are trying to keep it shut. Hard instruments are passed through. In later abortions, bony pieces are pulled out. The cervix is often torn. You can clearly see how this would contribute to preterm labor in future pregnancies.
Surgical abortions also scrape the interior of the uterus, particularly where the placenta had attached. This means that the area where the placenta is supposed to attach in a future pregnancy has been compromised to some degree. This can cause problems with how well the placenta attaches, or can lead to poor placental placement in future pregnancies. You can clearly see how this can contribute to preterm labor.
Surgical abortions can cause adhesions inside the uterus, a condition called Asherman's Syndrome. These adhesions impair fertility, and you can imagine how much harder it would be to get a pregnancy to go fully to term in a uterus that had been full of adhesions.
Advanced maternal age contributes to preterm birth. Aborting during your peak childbearing years in order to delay childrearing until your peak earning years will therefore increase the odds of a preterm birth.
And if the woman is having multiple abortions, these factors are adding up.
You can always have another baby later, right?
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