Abortion Essay -- essays research papers

Abortion, termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life. When the censure from the uterus occurs after the foetus becomes viable (capable of independent life), usually at the end of six months of pregnancy, it is technically a premature birth. In the United region, when the foetus is not born alive after 24 weeks of pregnancy it is termed a still birth.II. Types of AbortionPrint sectionAbortion may be spontaneous or induced. Expelled foetuses unhurriedness less than 0.5 kg (18 oz) or of less than 20 weeks gestation are usually considered abortions.A. Spontaneous AbortionPrint sectionIt is estimated that some 25 per cent of all merciful pregnancies terminate spontaneously in abortion, with three out of four abortions occurring during the first three months of pregnancy. Some women apparently obligate a tendency to abort, and recurrent abortion decreases the probability of subsequent successful childbirth.The causes of spontaneous abortions, or miscar riages, are not clearly established. Abnormal development of the embryo or placental tissue, or both, is arrange in about half the cases these abnormalities may be due to inherent faults in the germ cells or may be secondary to faulty nidation of the developing ovum or to other characteristics of the maternal environment. Severe vitamin deficiencies have been shown to play a role in abortions in experimental animals. Hormone deficiencies have also been found in women who are subject to recurrent abortions. Spontaneous abortions may also be caused by such maternal abnormalities as knifelike infectious diseases, systemic diseases such as nephritis and diabetes, and severe trauma. Uterine malformations, including tumours, are responsible in some instances.The most common symptom of be abortion is vaginal bleeding, with or without intermittent pain. About a quarter of all pregnant women bleed at some time during early pregnancy, however, and up to 50 per cent of these women carry the foetus to full term. Treatment for threatened abortion usually consists of bed rest. Almost continuous bed rest end-to-end pregnancy is required in some cases of repeated abortion vitamin and hormone therapy may also be given. Surgical correction of uterine abnormalities may be indicated in certain of these cases.Spontaneous abortion may result in expulsion of all or part of the contents of t... ...here abortion was permitted only to palliate a womans life contained about 20 per cent of the arenas population. Countries with moderately restrictive lawsabortions permitted to protect a womans health, to end pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, to avoid genetic or congenital defects, or in response to social problems such as unmarried status or low incomecontained some 40 per cent of the worlds population. Abortions at the womans request, usually with limits based on physical conditions such as duration of pregnancy, were allowed in countries with nearly 40 per cent of the wo rlds population. In the United States, legislation followed the world trend.Abortion is il healthy in many Roman Catholic and Islamic countries, although it may be carried out in cases where the mothers life is immediately at risk. It is legal in France and Italy, but illegal throughout Ireland. In England, Wales, and Scotland abortion has, since the 1967 Abortion Act, been free on demand and is available on the National Health Service. A woman seeking an abortion has to secure the agreement of two doctors rather than just onethe only medical procedure in the United Kingdom where this is required.