The effect of termination of pregnancy on maturity of subsequent pregnancy.

Therapeutic termination of pregnancy performed during the first trimester was associated with a statistically significant increase in the incidence of second trimester abortion and of premature labour in the next pregnancy. In a series of 520 patients who had previously been aborted 8.1% suffered a mid-trimester abortion in their next pregnancy and 8.6% had premature onset of labour (compared to 2.4% (P less than 0.001) and 4.4% (P less than 0.01) respectively in a control series). The incidence of incompetence of the cervix after termination of pregnancy was 4.4%.