LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new study suggests having an abortion does not increase the risk of mental health problems, but having a baby does.

The research by Danish scientists is one of the largest to compare the aftermath of both decisions.

It further debunks the notion that terminating a pregnancy can trigger mental illness and shows postpartum depression to be much more of a factor.

Researchers did not find a difference in the rate of mental health treatment before and after a first abortion. But they found first-time mothers were almost twice as likely to need psychiatric counseling postpartum than pre-delivery. The study is in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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