Recorded presentation

Tilahun Adera, PhD and James Brown, MD, MPH. Preventive Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1008 E. Clay St. Box 980212, Richmond, VA 23233, 804-828-9785, tadera@vcu.edu

Purpose: This study investigated the association of prior abortion (spontaneous and induced combined) with term low birth weight (TLBW). Methods: The study examined live, singleton births from 59,391 birth records in the United States Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP). Prevalence and crude prevalence odds ratios (POR) were calculated. Adjusted POR’s were calculated using logistic regression modeling to control for confounding. Results: In a regression model controlling for maternal race, age, parity, smoking, alcohol dependence, illicit drug dependence, hypertension, diabetes, body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy, prenatal visits, education, marital status, lowest hemoglobin, center and infant gender, prior abortion was associated with increased risk for subsequent TLBW. The POR’s and 95% C.I. for one, two and three or more abortions were 2.90 (2.50, 3.36), 5.18 (4.17, 6.45), and 8.95 (6.75, 11.89) respectively, demonstrating a dose-response relationship. Conclusions: Prior abortion is a risk factor for TLBW in subsequent pregnancies.

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