title: Characteristics of women who undergo second-trimester abortion in the setting of a fetal anomaly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most women diagnosed with a fetal anomaly terminate the pregnancy. Little is known about utilization of two procedures: dilation and evacuation (D&E) and induction termination.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cohort study included all women seen at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Prenatal Diagnosis Center (PDC) who underwent a second-trimester abortion for an anomalous pregnancy from 2005 to 2008. We abstracted variables from the PDC database and medical charts to identify predictors associated with undergoing D&E.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three quarters of the 192 women underwent D&E (n=148). Higher maternal age, proximity to UCSF, earlier gestational age, singleton gestation and genetic anomaly were associated with undergoing D&E. In adjusted analysis, earlier gestational age and singleton gestation were associated with undergoing D&E.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The D&E procedure was more commonly utilized for terminating an anomalous pregnancy at UCSF than medical induction. Further inquiry is needed to explore how provider counseling influences the choice of D&E vs. induction.
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. kernsjl@obgyn.ucsf.edu
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Kerns
authors: Megan
authors: M
authors: Swanson
authors: Sherri
authors: S
authors: Pena
authors: Danny
authors: D
authors: Wu
authors: Brian L
authors: BL
authors: Shaffer
authors: Susan H
authors: SH
authors: Tran
authors: Jody E
authors: JE
authors: Steinauer
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012495:San Francisco