The postponed abortion in any case affects the reproductive function of a woman. For this reason, doctors pay great attention to this category of patients. Post-termination pregnancy may be further endangered if the cervix is injured during the abortion. The cervix is a muscle mass and can be damaged by a surgical instrument, especially if the pregnancy is the first and the cervical canal is narrow. The damage is expressed as a tear and leads to inferiority of the cervix. As a result, the cervix can no longer hold the ovum and at 16-18 weeks there is a chance of miscarriage when the ovum leaves the uterus. The miscarriage is preceded by spotting and slight pain in the abdomen. If the doctor detects the inferiority of the cervix in time, then it is possible to prevent miscarriage by imposing sutures on it, which during pregnancy will keep the cervix closed. However, quite often this pathology can be detected only after a miscarriage and treatment is carried out during subsequent pregnancy.
Pregnancy after termination may be at risk due to improper hormonal regulation. During pregnancy, the body completely reorganizes its work to ensure the development of the unborn child. Abortion interrupts this process and can cause disruption of the pituitary gland and ovaries. As a result, during the next pregnancy, fetal development is not supported by the necessary hormonal levels. Most often, there is a lack of progesterone, which plays an important role in maintaining pregnancy during the first trimester. This complication is eliminated by taking medications prescribed by a doctor.
During an abortion, the endometrium or the inner layer of the uterus is injured. Since it is to this layer that the ovum is attached, its condition is extremely important for the formation of the placenta. Pregnancy after interruption can threaten complications precisely because of endometrial disruption. In the presence of damage to the layer, the ovum is attached in the area where they are absent, and such areas are most often located in the lower part of the uterus. Damage to the endometrial layer can be caused not only by thinning, but also be the result of chronic inflammation. With a low location of the placenta, the exit from the cervix is blocked, in some cases the ovum is attached in the cervix. This is already called a cervical pregnancy and is the basis for an abortion. And with a low location of the placenta, and with cervical pregnancy, the likelihood of bleeding is extremely high. As a result of bleeding during cervical pregnancy, the uterus must be removed. Therefore, this pregnancy does not persist. With a low attachment of the placenta, inpatient treatment is carried out in order to preserve the pregnancy.
Thinning of the inner layer of the uterus can lead to the formation of a placenta with a number of defects, as a result of which oxygen and nutrients will be supplied in insufficient quantities. This is called placental insufficiency and is the reason for the growth retardation of the fetus and the birth of a small baby. Therefore, during pregnancy, the doctor monitors the growth of the fetus by measuring the abdomen and prescribing an ultrasound scan. If growth retardation is detected, then appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Pregnancy after termination can be dangerous due to the threat of uterine rupture. The reason for such a serious complication can be a strong thinning of the walls of the uterus due to the large number of abortions performed. With a strong thinning of the uterine wall, treatment is carried out without surgery, and during pregnancy, the woman is carefully monitored by doctors. Also, during an abortion, the doctor may allow perforation of the uterus – a through hole in the wall of the uterus. Perforation of the uterus is removed by surgery. At the site of the hole, new tissue is formed, but it is not very extensible and can cause rupture of the uterus both during pregnancy and during childbirth. This is a serious threat to the life of the mother and child.
Medical abortion is positioned as the safest method of abortion. However, a detailed study of this issue shows that here, too, there are serious consequences for the woman’s body. As mentioned above, from the first day of pregnancy, a woman’s body produces a number of hormones, and termination of pregnancy, even at an early stage, leads to a strong hormonal disruption. As a result, the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, ovaries and adrenal glands are affected. Medical abortion is even more rude in terms of impact on the endocrine system of the body due to the high content of hormones. As a result, medical abortion increases the likelihood of developing diseases of the mammary glands, uterus and ovaries. Endocrine infertility can be an extremely unfortunate outcome. So it is quite logical that medical abortion is just as serious for future pregnancy as a classic one. This method is less traumatic for the psychological state of a woman, however, it is worth realizing that the likelihood of infertility is with any type of abortion.