Unintended pregnancies that lead to babies

Among a random sample of women giving birth to a live baby in 1984 in England, just over a quarter described the pregnancy as unintended. This, together with the ratio of legal terminations to live or still births, suggests that about two-fifths of conceptions are unintended. Data from the study suggest that babies resulting from unintended pregnancies are somewhat disadvantaged physically as well as socially, while maternity services may contribute to the disadvantages.