First, we learned that being a single mother causes child abuse. But wait, that's not right.  Turns out, abortion is a risk factor instead.

An Illinois letter writer explains how this works.  Via the Peoria Journal Star:

Priscilla Coleman and David Reardon published a review of multiple previous studies in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry which shows a rate of up to 30 percent of women experiencing serious mental health problems following abortion. Many of these problems - depression, anxiety and substance abuse in mothers - are strong risk factors for subsequent child abuse. This is true for any mother who has lost a child, born or unborn.

The authors commented that some of the studies demonstrated a positive correlation between abortion and abuse/neglect of subsequent children. I write this in hope that mothers in distress may be helped to get the care they need.