An abortion is medically referred to as a therapeutic abortion when it is
performed to save the life of the pregnant woman; to prevent harm to the
woman's physical or mental health; to terminate a pregnancy where indications
are that the child will have a significantly increased chance of mortality or
morbidity;
Interruption of pregnancy before the period of viability which is considered to occur
at 28% weeks of gestation in our country, (in western -24 wks.) is known as abortion.
Or
An abortion is the expulsion or extraction of all or any part of the placenta or
membranes, without an identical fetus or any part of the placenta or membranes,
without an identical fetus or with fetus (alive or death) weighing less than 500gm.
Or
Abortion is the ending of pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo before it can
survive outside the uterus.
A. Clinical Classification:
 Threatened abortion
 Inevitable abortion
 Complete abortion
 Incomplete abortion
 Missed abortion
 Septic abortion
 Habitual or recurrent abortion.
B. Etiological Classification:
 Spontaneous abortion
 Induced –
 Therapeutic or legal
 Criminal
C. According To Duration Of Pregnancy:
 Early or 1st trimester abortion before 12 wks
 Late or mid trimester abortion.
A. Local causes:
1. Fetal causes:
 Chromosomal anomalies-eg. (within 8 wks)
 Autosomal trisomy's, 45 XO, monosomy
 Triploidy & structural abnormality.
 Genetic abnormality.
 Defective implantation of trophoblastic.
 Maternal viral disease: rubella.
 Maternal intake of cytotoxic drugs.
 Inherited fault in ova or sperm.
 Fetal malformations. b. Fetal anoxia:
 Placental separation.
 Faulty placental formation eg. circumvallate placenta.
 Low attachment of placenta.
 Tumor formation: by hydatiform mole.
 Placental infection due to syphilis.
 Maternal asphyxia - by heart failure, anemia.
 Fetal anemia, hemolytic disease due to Rh incompatibility.
2. Maternal causes:
 Uterine abnormality:
 Congenital defects: septate bicornuate uterus.
 Displacements: retroversion.
 Neoplasm: Fibroids & pelvic tumors.,c;p
 Stimulation of expulsive uterine contractions.
 Over-distension of the uterus
 Direct trauma to uterus and its contents.
 Cervical incompetence. b. Ovary:
 Corpus luteum deficiency.
 Rupture of the membranes.
3. Paternal cause: Gross sperm abnormality
B. General Causes:
1. Acute illness:
 Hyper-pyrexia.
2. Infections:
 Viral Rubella, small pox, CMV.
 Septicemia.
 Bacterial - Syphilis.
 Parasitic:-Malaria, Toxoplasmosis.
3. Endocrine & metabolic deficiency.
 DM
 HTN
 Jaundice
 Progesterone deficiency.
4. Renal diseases:
 Chronic renal failure
 Chronic pyelonephritis.
5. Cardiovascular diseases:
 Hypertension.
 Anemia.
6. Drugs of poisons Quinine,
 RU 486,
 Lead poisoning
7. Psychogenic:
 Acute emotional disturbances.
8. Nutritional deficiencies Folic acid deficiency.
 Multiple dietary deficiencies,
9. Others Direct trauma
A. Immediate:
1. Severe hemorrhage leading to hypovolemic shock
2. Neurogenic shock
B. Late:
1. Most frequently sepsis is developed after self induced criminal abortion
2. Infection
3. Intrauterine synechiae
4. Infertility
A report by the American Psychological Association concluded that a woman's
first abortion is not a threat to mental health when carried out in the first
trimester, with such women no more likely to have mental-health problems than
those carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term; the mental-health outcome of a
woman's second or greater abortion is less certain
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HASIB,H.A.(2024) .Midwifery, National Publication.
Hossain,M.B.(2024) . Midwifery, Ashma Publication.
https://www.wikipedia.org/ at 4.40 pm , on 16/05/2024
https://www.google.com/ at 6.15 pm , on 15/05/2024
https://byjus.com/disastar/ at 8.05pm, on 16/05/2024