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The relationship of placenta previa and history of induced abortion
L G Johnson1, B A Mueller, J R Daling
1Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Public Health Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA. lgodefro@fhcrc.org
Objectives:
We evaluated the risk of placenta previa being associated with a history of induced abortion by different surgical procedures.
Methods:
Cases (n=192) were women who had a singleton delivery complicated by placenta previa at a major obstetric care hospital in western Washington state between April 1, 1990 and December 31, 1992. Controls (n=622) were women with singleton deliveries not complicated by placenta previa or abruption. Odds ratios, determined by logistic regression, approximate the relative risks.
Results:
Vacuum aspiration abortion was not associated with an increased risk of placenta previa (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.6-1.5). However, the risk of placenta previa increased with the number of sharp curettage abortions (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.0-8.5 for > or =3).
Conclusions:
Risk of placenta previa may be increased in a dose response fashion by multiple sharp curettage abortions. However, vacuum aspiration does not confer an increased risk, and may be a better alternative.