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abortion-comes from the Latin

abortio, which means to abort,


miscarry, deliver prematurely.
The Latin word abortus means
"miscarriage, premature, untimely
birth". In medicine abortion
means ending a pregnancy
prematurely.

Abortion Types Characteristics

Threatened Abortion
occurring before the 20th week of gestation
characterized by cramping and vaginal bleeding with no
cervical dilation.
it may subside or an incomplete abortion may follow.
Imminent or Inevitable
Abortion
membranes rupture and the cervix dilates
characterized by lower abdominal cramping and bleeding.
Incomplete Abortion
is characterized by expulsion of only part of the products of
conception (usually the fetus).
severe uterine cramping
bleeding occur with cervical dilation.

Complete Abortion
characterized by complete expulsion of all products of
conception
light bleeding
mild uterine cramping
passage of tissue
closed cervix
Missed Abortion
intrauterine pregnancy is present but is no longer developing
normally
the cervix is closed, and the client may report dark brown
vaginal discharge.
pregnancy test findings are negative.
Recurrent or Habitual
Abortion
characterized by spontaneous abortion of three or more
consecutive pregnancies
Septic Abortion
abortion complicated by infection
foul smelling vaginal discharge
uterine cramping
fever
Methods of Abortion
Before Fourteen Weeks
Suction Aspiration: For this procedure you lie on your back with your feet in stirrups, and the
doctor applies a shot of anesthetic to you cervix to reduce pain. Your cervical muscle is stretched
with cone-shaped rods until the opening is wide enough to allow the abortion tools to pass into
your uterus. Then the doctor guides the suction device through the cervix and into your uterus.
When the suction machine is turned on you feel the strong force of the vacuum which is used to
pull the placenta and fetus into parts small enough to pass out of your body through the suction
tube. During surgery the doctor cannot see the inside of your uterus and operates by touch alone,
trying to detach the fetus from the wall of the uterus with the powerful suction tip.
Dilation and Curettage: The doctor opens your cervix, as described above, but in this case the
abortion is done with a loop-shaped knife which he uses to scrape the wall of your uterus, cutting
the fetus and placenta into smaller parts and pulling them out of your body through the cervix.
RU 486: This is an abortion pill that would be taken very early in pregnancy, most likely before
the ninth week. Your doctor would either inject you with mifepristone or give you an oral dose.
Your body would begin to behave hormonally as if you were not pregnant and you would
experience a heavy period. Two days later you would return to the clinic for a check-up. Next,
you would be given and injection of prostaglandin. The prostaglandin causes your cervix to
dilate, and your uterus would push the fetus from your body, similar to labor. This injection can
cause serious cramping, bleeding, and heart problems. If the injection of prostaglandin is not
used, RU 486 may result in a failed abortion. Then a doctor would surgically extract the fetus.

After Fourteen Weeks
Dilatation and Evacuation: Because the bones of the fetus are larger and stronger by
this time, the doctor uses a medical instrument resembling pliers to pull the fetus into
smaller parts and removes those parts from your body through the cervix. This
procedure requires that your cervix be opened wider than with "Suction" or "D and C"
methods, and there is greater risk of harm to your reproductive organs.

After 16 Weeks
Saline or Prostaglandin: This is injected into the amniotic fluid which surrounds the
fetus in your uterus. To do this, the doctor inserts a long needle into your abdomen until
the tip of the needle penetrates the uterus. He then injects one of these substances which
eventually kills the fetus. Saline is a poisonous substance which eventually kills the
fetus. Prostaglandin causes the muscle tissue of the mother to push the fetus out of the
uterus. Both saline and Prostaglandin methods would require you to "give birth" to a
dead fetus. The labor which precedes birth is usually long and painful.

Late Term Abortions
Dilation and Extraction: Laminaria (a type of seaweed that expands
when moist) is used to dilate the cervix over a two day period. On the
third day, the membranes are ruptured. An ultrasound is used to locate
the lower extremities. The doctor then uses large forceps to grasp a leg,
and pull it down into the vagina. After the body is delivered, the skull is
lodged at the cervical opening. The doctor makes an incision in the base
of the fetal skull, inserts a suction catheter and evacuates the skull. This
technique may be safer than a D and E abortion because the fetus is not
dismembered in the uterus; however, damage may occur due to extensive
stretching of the cervix during the procedure.

INSTRUMENTS USED IN ABORTION
Uterine Curette - This is a metal rod with a handle on one end and a
sharp loop on the other. It is used to scrape along the wall of the
mother's uterus and dislodge her child.
Syringe with Spinal Needle - This is a large capacity syringe with a long
needle attached. In some abortion procedures it is used to drain off amniotic
fluid from the mother's uterus and replace it with either a saline or urea
solution. However, its more common use is for injecting chemical agents
(digoxin, potassium chloride, etc.) into the heart of the baby.


Forceps- This is a metal instrument that resembles a pair of scissors but
functions like a pair of pliers. They come in several different styles but
regardless of design they are used to grasp, pull apart, and/or remove the
baby. Forceps are especially useful in collapsing the skull and making it
easier to pull the skull through the mother's cervix.
Embryotomy Scissors - This instrument is used to cut off the head, arms
and legs.
Manual Vacuum Aspiration - MVA is used to abort a child from 6 weeks to
12 weeks of age. This handheld syringe works by creating its own
vacuum/suction. MVAs are used and reused millions of times a year around
the world. The major problem with the MVA is that it has a very weak
vacuum. This means that the child is ripped apart slowly.
Dubois' Embryotomy Decapitating Scissors - These abortion instruments
were used to cut off the head, arms and legs.
The Catholic Church has always
condemned abortion as a grave evil.
Christian writers from the first-century
author of the Didache to Pope John Paul
II in his encyclical Evangelium
Vitae ("The Gospel of Life") have
maintained that the Bible forbids
abortion, just as it forbids murder.

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