Pregnancy and Miscarriage

Posted on June 17, 2009 in Latest News

Those parents who look forward to pregnancy with joy and anticipation suddenly find themselves devastated when they lose their baby due to miscarriage. Miscarriage can be no less heartbreaking than the death of a child after birth. Though miscarriage can have profound psychological effect on both the partners, it is often women who blame themselves for a miscarriage. Miscarriages are highly unlikely to be triggered by factors that are under any couples’ control.

Technically, the term miscarriage refers to loss of a pregnancy before 20-24 weeks of gestation period. It is the period when a baby is unable to survive outside the womb of the mother. It is estimated that miscarriage can happen in 30% of all pregnancies. More than three-fourth of pregnant mothers may already have miscarriage even before they know they are pregnant.

Causes of Miscarriage
Several factors can cause miscarriage during pregnancy. Some of the factors are:

Hormonal problem – Particularly, low progesterone level and untreated thyroid disorder.
Chromosomal defects – This can contribute to death of a newly fertilized egg.
Unusual shape of the cervix or uterus – This can lead to early labor usually during 12-24 weeks of pregnancy.
Immune Disorders – Antiphospholipid antibodies (trigger blood clot in the placenta thereby causing blockage or slowing down of supply of blood), antinuclear antibodies (an auto-immune disorder), etc.
Ectopic pregnancy – In this type of pregnancy, the fertilized ovum grows anywhere except in its normal place i.e. the uterine wall.
Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) – Commonly caused due to uterine infection or inflammation.

Signs and Symptoms of Miscarriage during Pregnancy
The signs and symptoms of miscarriage is generally dependent on the cause and how advanced the pregnancy is.

Some of the signs and symptoms of miscarriage are:

Vaginal bleeding
Spotting
Intense and persistent one-sided lower abdominal cramping pain

Generally women who have had miscarriage is likely to have no problem in delivering healthy babies later on. However, immediately after a miscarriage it is recommended to wait for few months before trying to get pregnant again.

Pregnancy and Miscarriage

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