Abstract
Background: Most women diagnosed with a fetal anomaly terminate the pregnancy. Little is known about utilization of two procedures: dilation and evacuation (D&E) and induction termination. Study Design: This retrospective cohort study included all women seen at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Prenatal Diagnosis Center (PDC) who underwent a second-trimester abortion for an anomalous pregnancy from 2005 to 2008. We abstracted variables from the PDC database and medical charts to identify predictors associated with undergoing D&E. Results: Three quarters of the 192 women underwent D&E (n=148). Higher maternal age, proximity to UCSF, earlier gestational age, singleton gestation and genetic anomaly were associated with undergoing D&E. In adjusted analysis, earlier gestational age and singleton gestation were associated with undergoing D&E. Conclusions: The D&E procedure was more commonly utilized for terminating an anomalous pregnancy at UCSF than medical induction. Further inquiry is needed to explore how provider counseling influences the choice of D&E vs. induction.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 63-68 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Contraception |
Volume | 85 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Dilation and evacuation
- Fetal anomaly
- Induction termination
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Reproductive Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology