Letter to the editor of the Western Journal of Medicine
Delayed birth equals more cancers and preterm births. Western
Journal of Medicine. Brent Rooney. 2001;174;385-386
[The British Medical Group publishes the British Medical Journal
and the Western Journal of Medicine]
To the editor,
Unknown to them, Stein and Susser, by advocating that is all
right to delay birth into a woman's late 30's and early 40's,
are encouraging more preterm births and more cancers for mothers.1
BREAST CANCER
Consider "Alice" who is first time pregnant at age 20 years.
Would it be all right if "Alice" "terminates" this pregnancy
and eventually has a first birth, at say, age 35 years? Stein
and Susser would have to agree that, in general, such a decision
is fine and healthy. I would argue that when Alice signs the
consent form for the termination, she should be informed
that delaying her pregnancy by 10 to 15 years substantially
increases her relative breast cancer risk. A 15-year delay in
first full-term pregnancy increases relative breast cancer risk
by 67.3% (absolute increase: 8.41%).2 Nancy Krieger wrote,
"Conversely, early age at FFTP [First Full-Term Pregnancy]
consistently has emerged as the strongest protective factor
[against breast cancer]".3 A ten-year delay in age at first full-
term pregnancy by terminating earlier pregnancy increases relative
breast cancer risk by 41% (absolute increase: 5.13%)
PRETERM BIRTH RISK
Barbara Luke and Judith Lumley, recognized authorities in the
field of premature births, have identified induced abortion as a risk
factor for prematurity.4,5 In her book on preventing prematurity Luke
discusses her belief that induced abortion leads to an "incompetent
cervix,"(4) whereas Lumley believes that induced abortion causes
intrauterine infection.5 In 1992 Janet Daling et al.
reported that women with previous induced abortions had a 140%
elevated risk of intraamniotic infection in subsequent
pregnancies.6 To my knowledge at least 16 studies show that
previous induced abortions boost risk of prematurity.5,7-21
Therefore, an elective procedure that Stein and Susser sanction
increases the risks of breast cancer and subsequent preterm birth.22
Informed medical consent
In both the United States and Canada induced abortion is legally
considered to be an elective medical procedure.23 For an
elective procedure even remote-1 in 100,000- risks of
serious adverse side-effects must be disclosed on consent forms.
The risks of breast cancer and preterm birth addressed in this
letter are orders of magnitude higher than one in 100,000 and
must be disclosed on abortion clinic consent forms.2-23 It is
a scandal that these risks are not currently disclosed on
such consent forms.
"FIRST, DO NO HARM"
Both medical practitioners and medical researchers have an
ethical obligation to, "First, do no harm." For medical
researchers this means not 'turning a blind eye' to very
serious adverse side-effects. How does this specifically
apply to the medical field in the current context? About 2 years
ago Stephanie Carter, at the age of 17 years, had an induced
abortion performed by Dr. Charles Benjamin. On the consent
form the words "breast cancer" did not appear.24 Stephanie
Carter has filed a law suit against Dr. Benjamin in a court of law
alleging, in part, that Benjamin did not inform her of the breast
cancer risks of that induced abortion.24
Brent Rooney
Independent Medical Researcher
Reduce Preterm Risk Coalition
3456 Dunbar St. (146)
Vancouver, Canada V6S 2C2
[email protected]
[web: www.vcn.bc.ca/~whatsup]
West J Med 2001;174:385-386
..................................................................
References
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