BMJ  2007;335:789 (20 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39371.423924.DB

News

Experts clash as committee debates reducing 24 week abortion limit

BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Health experts clashed this week over the long term health risks for women who have terminations as the House of Commons science and technology committee launched its inquiry into whether the abortion laws in England and Wales need updating in the light of current knowledge.

Doctors who gave evidence at the committee's first session agreed that the research showed that women who have induced abortions are more likely to have premature births in future—and the more terminations they have, the greater the risk.

But there was disagreement about whether abortion increases the risk of mental health problems in later life and whether women who have terminations are more prone to breast cancer.

The MPs are considering whether medical research indicates that the 24 week normal cut-off point for abortion should be reduced. They are looking at the impact of termination on the mother's health and the chances of survival for . . . [Full text of this article]

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