The effect of abortion method on the outcome of subsequent pregnancy.

Infants born to women following a previous induced abortion, primarily by the D&C method, showed an excess of low birth weight. However, when women with medical illnesses were excluded, the excess was very slight. The data suggested that the greater the dilatation at D&C, the lower the birth weight. Women requiring induced abortions should have them as early as possible to minimize cervical damage and its consequences.