PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Abortion, Selective”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Selective seed abortion affects the performance of the offspring in Bauhinia ungulata.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Under the microgametophytic competition hypothesis, a non-random pattern of seed abortion is expected, in which only the most vigorous seeds reach maturity. In a previous study, it was found that Bauhinia ungulata (Fabaceae) exhibits a pattern of seed abortion dependent on the position of the ovule within the ovary; ovules located in the stylar half of the fruit, close to the point of entry of pollen tubes to the ovary, have a low probability of seed abortion, whereas ovules in the basal half of the fruit are aborted with a high probability. METHODS: A series of experimental fruits was generated, in which ovules from either the stylar (treatments 1 and 2) or the basal (treatments 3 and 4) half of fruits were destroyed, to evaluate whether these patterns of selective seed abortion have an effect on the vigour of the offspring in B. ungulata. KEY RESULTS: Only 53 % of the seed from control fruits germinated. Seed set in fruits from treatments 1 and 2 showed a significantly lower (33-43 %) percentage of germination; the germination of seeds from fruits in treatments 3 and 4 (49-51 %) did not differ from control seeds. In addition, it was found that the differences in vigour of the offspring are not random with respect to the position of the ovule in the pod. CONCLUSIONS: The overall performance of the seeds correlated with their likelihood of maturation. Seeds located at the basal half of the treatment fruits showed lower values of vigour than seeds located on the stylar half. The differences were more marked for early measures of fitness.

Bauhinia↗
PubMed1975

The psychological sequelae of abortion performed for a genetic indication.

Psychometric testing and psychiatric interviews were conducted on 13 families in which the women had undergone amniocentesis for the prenatal detection of a genetic defect in the fetus and, upon receiving positive results, elected to have a therapeutic abortion. The indication for amniocentesis was maternal age in two families, a previous child with Down's syndrome in one family, a previous child with a recessively inherited inborn error of metabolism in four families, and the mother being a carrier for an X-linked disease in six families. The incidence of depression following selective abortion may be as high as 92 per cent among the women and as high as 82 per cent among the men studied, and was greater than that usually associated with elective abortion for psychosocial indications or with delivery of a stillborn. Four families experienced separations during the pregnancy-abortion period. Despite the emotional trauma of the procedure, most of the families studied would repeat their course of action and consider selective abortion preferable to the alternative birth of a defective child. Several modifications in the amniocentesis and selective abortion procedure which might diminish the concomitant emotional trauma are suggested.

Abortion, Eugenic↗
PubMed2004

"Important to test, important to support": attitudes toward disability rights and prenatal diagnosis among leaders of support groups for genetic disorders in Israel.

To situate the North American, and to some extent, European debate regarding disability rights and prenatal diagnosis in a social and cross-cultural context, this pilot study explored the views of leaders of organizations for disability rights and support groups for people with genetic conditions in Israel, where a similar debate has not emerged. Unlike many of their counterparts in North America, Israeli respondents were generally in favor of prenatal genetic testing as well as selective abortion, while at the same time expressing their commitment for already-born disabled individuals. The religious, legal, economic and socio-cultural context of this two-fold view of disability--which separates prenatal (preventive testing) and postnatal (supporting disability)--is discussed in order to further situate the debate in cross-cultural perspective. It is hypothesized that prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion are supported in secular Israeli society independently of the rabbinical stance, which forbids selective abortion, and in a way that reflects society's non-acceptance of congenital disability, veneration of the healthy body, and medical directiveness.

Abortion, Eugenic↗
PubMed1993

Prenatal screening and its impact on persons with disabilities.

This paper examines and describes the perspective of persons with disabilities regarding the policy implications of prenatal screening. The most troubling, and controversial, aspect is when screening results in selective abortion. Persons with disabilities have a unique perspective on both sides of the public argument over abortion. The most common reasons given for selective abortions because of disability are based on assumptions that have, mostly, not been affirmed or refuted through research. The impact of the availability of prenatal testing on public attitudes about disability and practices towards disabled persons should be explored. Additional input from disabled people is needed.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1983

Reproduction in hemophilia.

Reproduction rates in 294 men with severe hemophilia, 327 of their mothers, and 215 of their sisters were compared with Vital Statistics data for the general US population matched for exact age, calendar year between 1940 and 1977, and, for women, parity. Before 1950, reproduction rates in hemophiliacs and in mothers did not differ from those of the general population, but thereafter the rates fell notably. Births to sisters who were para 0 were lower than expected beginning in 1965, but births to sisters who had had one or more nonhemophiliac children were similar to those expected of the general population. The decline in fecundity may be caused by greater availability of genetic counseling and birth control measures and by social changes. Many prospective parents would welcome the opportunity to have unafflicted children but refuse selective abortion. Preconception gender selection would be appropriate for this sex-linked disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Transcription initiation site selection and abortive initiation cycling of phage SP6 RNA polymerase.

Effects of mutations around the phage SP6 transcription initiation site on SP6 RNA polymerase's selection of initiation site were studied. In the in vitro transcription reactions, the limiting concentration of a ribonucleotide causes the SP6 RNA polymerase to stall long enough only at the positions of the limited nucleotide and dissociate from the elongation complex. As a result, a series of RNA oligomers comprises a sequencing ladder, and abortive initiation cycling products up to 6-mer are made in high yield. Precise sizing of the product RNAs from the elongation pausings determined the initiation site of each mutant. When the wild-type +1 G is changed to C or A without change in the upstream sequence including TATA from -4 to -1, transcription still starts only at the +1 site. But, the mutant containing TATCC from -4 to +1 C. We propose that the phage SP6 RNA polymerase selects the initiation site precisely at a certain distance from a direct contact point in the upstream promoter sequence, regardless of the species of initiating nucleotide. It is also suggested that the sequence-dependent perturbations of DNA helical structure, for example D to B form, may shift the initiation site.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1989

[Selective interruption of pregnancy and embryonic malformations of the limbs].

The authors report 3 cases of fetal malformations consisting of amputation of the limbs. These were found in their cases of selective abortion carried out around the 10th week of amenorrhoea by injection under ultrasonic needle guidance of hypertonic saline into selected sacs. These malformations seem to be associated with either the existence of amniotic bands or with a toxic mechanism (direct contact of the limbs of the embryo with neighbouring hyperosmolar membranes). This technique is to be given up in favour of transcervical aspiration, or direct needling of the fetus. The different techniques for selective abortion have been reviewed as well as the so-called "alternative" techniques (such as follicular aspiration) which are preferable.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed1988

Prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia: the viewpoint of patients.

Twenty-eight young people with thalassemia major expressed their opinion about prenatal diagnosis. All of them stated that they intended to marry and have children; thirteen of them (46 per cent) said that they would have also accepted a thalassemic carrier as a partner and that if married to a carrier they would have undergone prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion. All but one refused the prospect of an affected child. When asked if they would have preferred that before their birth their parents had undergone prenatal diagnosis and abortion, 19 patients (68 per cent) gave an affirmative answer. These results clearly indicate that even people affected by thalassemia major, who are the potential victims of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion, largely accept prenatal diagnosis as a means of preventing their disease.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1999

How do carriers of hemophilia and their spouses experience prenatal diagnosis by chorionic villus sampling?

A semistructured personal interview with 29 female carriers of hemophilia and 23 of their spouses was performed at a median of 3 1/2 years after the first chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and gene analysis. Carriers with a hemophilic father or brother, had high sense of coherence (SOC) scores, and thus would be expected to have good ability to handle the stress of prenatal diagnosis (PD). Prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia by CVS was generally well accepted by the women and their spouses. However, the period while waiting for test results was experienced as emotionally troublesome by both the women and their spouses; women reporting significantly more psychiatric or psychosomatic symptoms than men. Positive effects resulting from participation by the spouse on how the women experienced PD could not be identified. Selective abortion after first trimester PD was clearly experienced as emotionally painful by both the women and their spouses, these reactions being similar to, but not as pronounced as those found after second trimester selective abortion. Notably, signs of depressive mood were observed several years after the abortion, and the provision of psychosocial support should be recommended for couples who decide upon termination of pregnancy following PD.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1992

Huntington's disease: prenatal screening for late onset disease.

This article presents a set of moral arguments regarding the selective abortion of fetuses on the basis of prenatal screening for late onset genetic diseases only, and for Huntington's Disease* in particular. After discussion of human suffering, human perfection and the distinctive features of the lives of people confronting late onset genetic disease, the author concludes that selective abortion is difficult to justify ethically, although it must remain a matter of personal choice.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed2006

Abnormal sex ratios in human populations: causes and consequences.

In the absence of manipulation, both the sex ratio at birth and the population sex ratio are remarkably constant in human populations. Small alterations do occur naturally; for example, a small excess of male births has been reported to occur during and after war. The tradition of son preference, however, has distorted these natural sex ratios in large parts of Asia and North Africa. This son preference is manifest in sex-selective abortion and in discrimination in care practices for girls, both of which lead to higher female mortality. Differential gender mortality has been a documented problem for decades and led to reports in the early 1990s of 100 million "missing women" across the developing world. Since that time, improved health care and conditions for women have resulted in reductions in female mortality, but these advances have now been offset by a huge increase in the use of sex-selective abortion, which became available in the mid-1980s. Largely as a result of this practice, there are now an estimated 80 million missing females in India and China alone. The large cohorts of "surplus" males now reaching adulthood are predominantly of low socioeconomic class, and concerns have been expressed that their lack of marriageability, and consequent marginalization in society, may lead to antisocial behavior and violence, threatening societal stability and security. Measures to reduce sex selection must include strict enforcement of existing legislation, the ensuring of equal rights for women, and public awareness campaigns about the dangers of gender imbalance.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1993

Comparative epidemiology of Down syndrome in two United States population, 1970-1989.

This study compared the epidemiology of Down syndrome over a 20-year period, 1970-1989, in two populations in which livebirths with Down syndrome were believed to be highly ascertained. One population was a 10-county region in southwest Ohio; the second was a five-county region in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The major objectives were to 1) compare observed incidences of Down syndrome over the entire study period; 2) calculate expected incidences of Down syndrome for each population and compare these with observed incidences; 3) determine incidence trends throughout the period; and 4) examine the impact of prenatal diagnosis on the observed incidence of Down syndrome in each population. Excluding aborted fetuses with Down syndrome diagnosed prenatally, the observed incidence of Down syndrome, 0.98, was significantly lower than that expected, 1.27, within the Atlanta white data set. Once the observed data were adjusted to include aborted fetuses with Down syndrome (total incidence = 1.17), no statistically significant differences remained. No differences were found between observed and expected incidences of Down syndrome for whites in southwest Ohio or for other races in either population. Although uncorrected observed incidences were significantly different between the two populations of whites for the entire 20-year period, the differences again disappeared after the data were corrected to include aborted fetuses. No significant effect of prenatal diagnosis on those of other races was found in either population. Expected Down syndrome incidences rose from the late 1970s throughout the 1980s for both racial groups in Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia; however, because the termination of fetuses with Down syndrome increased over the decade, the observed incidence among whites in southwest Ohio remained at earlier levels and actually fell among whites in Atlanta. These results indicate the increasing importance of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion in the epidemiology of Down syndrome and of correcting for it when comparing incidences between populations, even within the same time period. These data from 2 decades show that differences in both observed and expected incidences of Down syndrome exist between both populations and races, principally because of differences in demographic age structure and maternal age fertility rates and because of differential use of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2003

[The small epidemiologic transition: further decrease in infant mortality due to medical intervention during pregnancy and childbirth, yet no decrease in childhood disabilities].

The small epidemiologic transition, which started to occur during the 1960s, was a continuation of the large epidemiologic transition. The large epidemiologic transition concerned a strong increase in the life expectancy as a result of the virtual disappearance of mortality during the early life years. During the most recent stage of this epidemiologic transition, two types of medical intervention in pregnancy and childbirth were introduced: antenatal screening and diagnosis followed by selective abortion, and neonatal intensive care for preterm babies. These two types of intervention have opposite epidemiologic effects. On the one hand these have led to a further decrease in the mortality. Yet, on the other hand the prevalence of childhood disabilities has scarcely decreased or has not decreased at all, because intensive interventions after childbirth can lead to more disabilities occurring in the population than those removed due to selective abortion. The small epidemiologic transition has arisen from an expansion in knowledge and possibilities to observe and intervene. These have indeed led to an increase in options before, during and after pregnancy, but not to a reduced morbidity at the start of life.

Child↗
PubMed2006

Abortion and sex determination: conflicting messages in information materials in a District of Rajasthan, India.

Public information campaigns are an integral component of reproductive health programmes, including on abortion. In India, where sex selective abortion is increasing, public information is being disseminated on the illegality of sex determination. This paper presents findings from a study undertaken in 2003 in one district in Rajasthan to analyse the content of information materials on abortion and sex determination and people's perceptions of them. Most of the informational material about abortion was produced by one abortion service provider, but none by the public or private sector. The public sector had produced materials on the illegality of sex determination, some of which failed to distinguish between sex selection and other reasons for abortion. In the absence of knowledge of the legal status of abortion, the negative messages and strong language of these materials may have contributed to the perception that abortion is illegal in India. Future materials should address abortion and sex determination, including the legal status of abortion, availability of providers and social norms that shape decision-making. Married and unmarried women should be addressed and the participation of family members acknowledged, while supporting independent decisions by women. Sex determination should also be addressed, and the conditions under which a woman can and cannot seek an abortion clarified, using media and materials accessible to low-literate audiences. Based on what we learned in this research, a pictorial booklet and educator's manual were produced, covering both abortion and sex determination, and are being distributed in India.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2006

Low female[corrected]-to-male [corrected] sex ratio of children born in India: national survey of 1.1 million households.

BACKGROUND: Fewer girls than boys are born in India. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain this low sex ratio. Our aim was to ascertain the contribution of prenatal sex determination and selective abortion as measured by previous birth sex. METHODS: We analysed data obtained for the Special Fertility and Mortality Survey undertaken in 1998. Ever-married women living in 1.1 million households in 6671 nationally-representative units were asked questions about their fertility history and children born in 1997. FINDINGS: For the 133 738 births studied for 1997, the adjusted sex ratio for the second birth when the preceding child was a girl was 759 per 1000 males (99% CI 731-787). The adjusted sex ratio for the third child was 719 (675-762) if the previous two children were girls. By contrast, adjusted sex ratios for second or third births if the previous children were boys were about equal (1102 and 1176, respectively). Mothers with grade 10 or higher education had a significantly lower adjusted sex ratio (683, 610-756) than did illiterate mothers (869, 820-917). Stillbirths and neonatal deaths were more commonly male, and the numbers of stillbirths were fewer than the numbers of missing births, suggesting that female infanticide does not account for the difference. INTERPRETATION: Prenatal sex determination followed by selective abortion of female fetuses is the most plausible explanation for the low sex ratio at birth in India. Women most clearly at risk are those who already have one or two female children. Based on conservative assumptions, the practice accounts for about 0.5 million missing female births yearly, translating over the past 2 decades into the abortion of some 10 million female fetuses.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1997

[Epidemiology of prenatal diagnosis and selective pregnancy termination because of fetal neural tube defects in The Netherlands in comparison to other European countries].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological impact of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion on the frequency of neural tube defects (NTD) in the period 1980-1992 in the Northern Netherlands in comparison with data from other European regions. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: 17 'European registration of congenital anomalies' (EUROCAT) registrations, localized in 10 European countries. METHOD: Data were collected actively and retrospectively from multiple sources fed by voluntary registration of congenital anomalies in live births, stillbirths and pregnancies terminated because of congenital anomalies. RESULTS: In Europe the total birth prevalence of NTD in the period 1980-1992 ranged from 5.3 per 10,000 in Switzerland to 29.0 per 10,000 in Glasgow, a difference of a factor 5.5. In live births the difference was ninefold: ranging from 2.0 per 10,000 in Paris to 18.8 per 10,000 in Dublin. The Netherlands had a conspicuously high prevalence among live births, higher than in other regions in continental Europe. For spina bifida the live birth prevalence both in other continental regions and in Glasgow was also lower than in the Netherlands. In Glasgow serum alpha-foetoprotein screening apparently led to frequent early prenatal diagnosis of NTD and to frequent termination of pregnancy. In Paris the use of ultrasound screening appears to lead to frequent later prenatal diagnosis, as well as frequent termination of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: In the Netherlands the impact of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion is limited, so that primary prevention (periconceptional use of folic acid) is more important than in some other European countries.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗