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When used this way, neither medication is considered an abortifacient. However, the same drugs can be used to induce an abortion, particularly after 12 weeks of pregnancy. [4] [10] Misoprostol (discussed above) is also used to treat peptic ulcers [11] in patients who have had gastric or intestinal damage from use of NSAIDs.
Misoprostol should not be taken by pregnant women with wanted pregnancies to reduce the risk of NSAID-induced gastric ulcers because it increases uterine tone and contractions in pregnancy, which may cause partial or complete abortions, and because its use in pregnancy has been associated with birth defects. [55] [56]
Toxic abortion is a medical phenomenon of spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth caused by toxins in the environment of the mother during pregnancy, especially as caused by toxic environmental pollutants, though sometimes reported as caused by naturally occurring plant toxins [1] [2]
Feet of a baby born to a mother who had taken thalidomide while pregnant. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the use of thalidomide in 46 countries was prescribed to women who were pregnant or who subsequently became pregnant, and consequently resulted in the "biggest anthropogenic medical disaster ever," with more than 10,000 children born with a range of severe deformities, such as ...
While misoprostol is 80 to 100% effective at terminating a pregnancy on its own, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, taking both medications is more effective and has fewer side effects.
Prevention of a miscarriage can sometimes be accomplished by decreasing risk factors. [11] This may include good prenatal care, avoiding drugs and alcohol, preventing infectious diseases, and avoiding X-rays. [11] Identifying the cause of the miscarriage may help prevent future pregnancy loss, especially in cases of recurrent miscarriage.
In some cases, it may be appropriate to refer people with preexisting medical conditions to a hospital-based abortion provider. [46] Conversely, some medical conditions may make medication abortion more favorable than surgical abortion, such as large uterine fibroids, congenital uterine anomalies, or genital scarring related to infibulation.
In Sweden, 85.6% of early abortions and 73.2% of abortions before the end of the 12th week of gestation in 2009 were medication-based; 68.2% of all abortions in 2009 were medication-based. [97] In Great Britain and Sweden, mifepristone is licensed for use with vaginal gemeprost or oral misoprostol.