Which statement best defines abortion in pregnancy?

Which statement best defines abortion in pregnancy?

• A. Any loss of pregnancy prior to 20 weeks gestation.
• B. Loss of pregnancy after 20 weeks gestation.
• C. Delivery of a live infant before term.
• D. Miscarriage after 22 weeks.

Answer: (A)

Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable outside the uterus. Viability is generally considered around 20 weeks gestation, so a pregnancy loss occurring before 20 weeks is classified as abortion. Loss after that point falls into other categories (for example, stillbirth or fetal demise if the baby isn’t born alive, or preterm delivery if a live baby is born). Delivering a live infant before term is not abortion—it's preterm birth. A miscarriage after 22 weeks doesn’t fit the standard abortion definition and would be categorized differently, often as a late fetal loss.

Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable outside the uterus. Viability is generally considered around 20 weeks gestation, so a pregnancy loss occurring before 20 weeks is classified as abortion. Loss after that point falls into other categories (for example, stillbirth or fetal demise if the baby isn’t born alive, or preterm delivery if a live baby is born). Delivering a live infant before term is not abortion—it's preterm birth. A miscarriage after 22 weeks doesn’t fit the standard abortion definition and would be categorized differently, often as a late fetal loss.