The Physical and Psychosocial Effects of Abortion on mothers

Abstract

Objective: To assess the factor contributed to abortion and to identify the physical and psychosocial effect of abortion on mothers. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted at Baghdad teaching hospital and AL-Yarmok teaching hospital, purposive sample (100) mothers was selected. The instrument was designed and constructed by reviewing related literatures, and composed of three parts, part one for demographic and reproductive characteristics, part two for the causes contributed to abortion and part three for physical and psychosocial effect of abortion on women. Data were collected by personal interview in 20 March to 15 April \ 2012 and descriptive statistical procedures were used to analyze to data. Result: The result of the study showed the highest percentage (30%) of the study sample were ate age group between (30-34) years, (38%) of them were primary school graduated and (64%) of them were house wife, (34%) of them were multigravida, (28%) of them were primipara, (68%) of them have one abortion, (64%) of them have previous curettage and (65.6%) of them have curettage for one time. The revealed that the most causes of abortion were the physical tiredness and accidental trauma, most of the study sample suffering of physical effectiveness after abortion (74%) of them having chronic abdominal pain. The psychological result revealed majority of the study sample suffer of sadness, tiredness, emotional difficulties, eating disorders, depressive, while the social effect revealed increased family problem and violence behavior toward the husband and family. conclusion: According to the result we concluded that there were many factors contributed to abortion and psychosocial effects were more common than physical effects among mothers who had abortion. Recommendation: The study recommended routine screening for women to detect the causes, psychosocial support through educational programs and mass media especially for those women with recurrent abortion.