Racial differences in management of spontaneous abortion

Spontaneous abortions (SAB) are nonviable intrauterine pregnancies up to 20 weeks. Treatment for SAB includes expectant management, medical treatment, or surgical evacuation. These treatments rarely lead to long-term complications, though they do have different rates of success. The success of surgical evacuation reaches 99%, compared to 80% for patients managed expectantly. With similar long-term outcomes, ACOG recommends that patients chose the type of management they wish to receive in the absence of medical complications1. Racial differences exist in incidence of SAB, with Black patients having a higher risk of early pregnancy loss compared to White patients. While disparities in reproductive care are well established, differences in management of SAB has not been well characterized 2.