Preterm Birth Update
Preterm birth plagues modern society, with over three million deaths worldwide annually. When combined with low birth weight, preterm births are estimated to cost over one hundred million disability-adjusted life years. In the U.S., the low birth weight (newborn less than 2,500 gms) delivery rate in 2002 increased to 7.8 percent from 6.8 percent in 1985. This marks the highest rate in over thirty years. A large meta-analysis from 2009 analyzing abortion and preterm birth found an increased risk for preterm birth with an odds ratio of 1.35 (95 percent CI 1.20–1.52) for preterm demonstrating a 35 percent increase in the preterm birth rate in patients with only one abortion. The odds ratio for preterm birth for greater than two induced abortions was 1.72 (95 percent CI 1.45–2.04) demonstrating a 72 percent increase in the preterm birth rate and the important epidemiological principle of a dose-related effect: The more abortions one has prior to first pregnancy, the higher the risk for preterm birth. Finally, it is estimated that the concomitant expense due to prematurity from abortion may cost well over $1.2 billion per year in the U.S. in hospitalization (neonatal intensive care unit) costs alone.