Feto-maternal haemorrhage in therapeutic abortion

Abstract

The incidence of feto-maternal haemorrhage in induced abortion has been studied with the Kleihauer technique. All four methods of termination used were shown to result in such haemorrhages. The incidence below 12 weeks' gestation, however, was very small and there seems to be no reason for offering routine rhesus-immunoglobulin to these women. When it is essential to terminate a pregnancy of 12 weeks' size or more in a rhesus-negative woman immunoglobulin should be given.