Abortions: a clinical review of 1217 cases
Bose, S.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India 10(1): 56-61
1959
ISSN/ISBN: 0971-9202 PMID: 12336440 Document Number: 575352
An epidemiological study was undertaken using data from a series of 1217 consecutive cases of abortion collected at Eden Hospital, Calcutta, India, during the 1956-57 period. Since the obstetric admission total during the same period was 30,362, the abortion rate at this hospital was approximately 4%. Analysis of personal characteristics of the patients shows that more than 1/2 were in the 20-29 age group with the extremes of age ranging from 14 to 47. The lower age incidence when compared to Western abortion statistics is attributed to early marriages and poor socioeconomic conditions in the area. Since the incidence of abortions peaked at the 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th weeks of pregnancy, it is suggested that naturally-occurring abortions occur near the expected dates of normal menstruations. Almost 1/4 of the patients had a history of at least 1 previous abortion, indicating a gynecologic problem. Mortality for the series was approximately .5%, attributable to gas-gangrene infection, peritonitis, septicemia, and anuria. The incidence of spontaneously-occurring abortion cannot be lessened until the etiology of the occurrence has been determined. Maternal morbidity and mortality connected with abortion can be reduced by public education regarding the need for early hospitalization, blood loss replacement, reduction of criminal abortion induction procedures, and use of prophylactic antibiotics.