Dr. Ingrid Skop, an OB-GYN who has practiced in San Antonio for >25yrs and American Assoc of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists board member, responded to this op-ed, which argued that access to abortion is necessary to reduce maternal mortality: nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
"The increase is multifactorial, including compromised data collection, delaying childbirth until older ages, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and thrombophilias. The U.S. has a fairly high C-section rate, which greatly increases the risk of death compared to a normal delivery.”
“Deaths of despair are rising and account for many late maternal deaths: suicides, homicides, and overdoses. And finally, many women do not have good social support to help them, if they do become ill. Many women are...”
“...carrying pregnancies and raising children without the assistance of the father, and may not have a safety net to help them obtain needed medical care.”
"One thing that is NOT contributing to this increase is abortion restrictions, as politically motivated organizations have alleged. It is extremely rare for a woman to have a life-threatening condition during pregnancy that must be treated with abortion.”
“Occasionally, a condition such as severe hypertension requires delivery, but this almost always happens after the baby has the ability to live separated from the mother. The woman's OB-GYN can deliver her by induction or C-section, & the baby can be cared for by the NICU team.”
“There are several long-term risks of abortion that may also place a woman at greater risk for mortality in a subsequent pregnancy. Instrumental damage to the uterus may increase her risk of an invasive placenta which can cause catastrophic hemorrhage at delivery.”
“Uterine damage can also lead to faulty placental adherence that could lead to placental abruption (premature separation which can place the mother and the baby's lives in danger). Also, there is an increased risk of a subsequent early delivery after abortion.”
“Premature rupture of membranes may lead to maternal sepsis, and other obstetric interventions to delay preterm delivery (such as magnesium sulfate) can also be dangerous for women."
