[Medical indications for abortions induced in the 2d trimester of prenatal life. Epidemiological considerations and prospects of prevention].

A review of more then 20,000 induced abortions led to recognize a series of about 1,500 late abortions induced upon medical indication during the second trimester of pregnancy, in accordance with the 1978 italian Law. About 20% of these abortions were performed in teen-agers. Only 3.5% of these 1.500 abortions corresponded to the classic "therapeutical" motivation due to danger to the physical health of the mother. Eugenic abortions induced by ascertained fetal malformation, chromosomal abnormality or other suspected prenatal pathology, could be identified in 36.9% of cases, even if legal motivation went correlated to the mental health of the mother. In 59.6% of cases motivation was a peculiar psycho-emotional condition of mother suffering, inducing fear for her mental health. Data were analysed and correlated to a series of relevant variables. Considerations of general value regarding the prevalence of the phenomenon of rejected pregnancies, the rate of spontaneous abortions, and the lack of birth control, are based on the comparison of the results with those of the first trimester induced abortions, spontaneous abortions and natality rate recorded in the same Hospital, in the population of Milan and in the italian largest region, Lombardy. Consistently with the recognition, based on biological, medical and ethical ground, of the presence of a new human life during pregnancy, the Author stresses the need for a realistic approach to the problem also from the legal and medical point of view. In particular, the urgent need for comprehensive and efficient programs of prevention of abortion, which still remains all over the world a major challenge for society, human dignity and modern gynaecological science is emphasized.