Some Important Facts About Abortion In Canada

Publié par Unknown on dimanche 22 juillet 2018

By Dorothy Snyder


Abortion refers to termination of pregnancy before it reaches viability, usually between twenty four and twenty eight weeks. The termination can either occur spontaneously or can be induced. Spontaneous abortion is a result of many factors, both anatomical and acquired. In the event that abortion is induced, care should be taken to prevent complications. These are some of the essential facts about abortion in Canada.

An abortion occurring spontaneously is usually the result of anomalies in the anatomy of the female reproductive system. The most common anatomical anomaly is that involving the cervix, medically referred to as cervical incompetence, CI. In such cases, the cervical tissues are too weak to sustain the growing amniotic sac and the fetus within.

The sac usually becomes fully expanded at around fourteen weeks of gestation. It is at this time that most abortions caused by cervical incompetence occur. Victims usually complain of an initial break in water, followed by bleeding. In the most severe form, the whole sac suddenly drops off the ground through the vagina. The doctor should have a high index of suspicion for cervical incompetence in the event that a woman presents with a history of recurrent abortions at the end of the first trimester or at the beginning of the second trimester.

Cervical incompetence is caused by a number of factors. Some women could be genetically predisposed to the condition. In others, the incompetence is acquired as a result of frequent instrumentation. Exposing the female reproductive system to instrumentation every now and then not only increases the risk of infection but also makes the structures weak.

Putting too much tension on cervical tissues can also lead to incompetence. Extreme levels of stretch can occur in cases where a woman delivers without laboring for long. This is medically known as precipitate labour. It means that the tissues do not have any control on how much they can stretch and may end up sustaining tears in the process. Carrying more than one pregnancy at a go also predisposes one to incompetence of cervical function.

In some instances, a mother may lose their baby without them knowing for some time. They may only realize this during one of their routine visits to the antenatal clinic. When they are examined, the abdominal size may be noted to be smaller than what it is expected to be. In addition, even though their cervix may be intact, there could be some foul smell detected.

Ultrasound examination usually reveals a lifeless being within the amniotic sac. Missed abortions are commonly caused by certain maternal infections some of which include toxoplasmosis, chlamydia and syphilis. It is prudent for pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics to ensure any infections are detected early and treated as appropriate. The mother needs to be counselled in order to cope with the loss of their growing fetus. All the products of conception should be aspirated as soon as possible to avoid complications.

Retained products of conception are usually removed through manual vacuum aspiration after mildly sedating the patient or administering some form of pain relief. Infection prevention measures need to be observed to the latter. The procedure needs to be done under sterile conditions and medication should be given in anticipation of common infections.




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