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Published on: October 10, 2025
Previous abortion and risk of pre-term birth: a population study
Rosanne Freak-Poli1, Annabelle Chan, Graeme Tucker
1Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Summary
Previous induced abortion and smoking are preventable risk factors for pre-term birth. These factors, especially smoking among indigenous women, contribute significantly to pre-term birth rates.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pre-term birth remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- Identifying modifiable risk factors is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if previous abortion is an independent risk factor for pre-term birth.
- To quantify the population-attributable risks associated with various pre-term birth risk factors.
Main Methods:
- A population-based study analyzing 42,269 first singleton births in South Australia (1998-2003).
- Multivariable logistic regression was employed to compare pre-term births with term births, controlling for confounding variables.
Main Results:
- Previous induced abortion was identified as an independent risk factor for pre-term birth (AOR 1.25).
- Smoking during pregnancy and pregnancy hypertension were significant risk factors with high population-attributable risks (4.7% and 12.4%, respectively).
- A dose-response relationship was observed between the number of previous abortions and pre-term birth risk.
Conclusions:
- Previous induced abortion and smoking are significant, preventable risk factors for pre-term birth.
- Smoking poses a particularly high risk among indigenous women, contributing to a substantial proportion of pre-term births in this group.
- The population-attributable risks for these factors may be underestimated due to potential under-reporting.
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