Have you or your loved ones waited to declare their pregnancies until the first trimester is over? That’s because most miscarriages happen during the first trimester of pregnancy and the risk goes down as pregnancy progresses further. That’s why it is important to know about common causes of miscarriage. Unfortunately, we lose 10% to 15% of known pregnancies to miscarriage.
Miscarriage is the pregnancy loss before the 20th week of pregnancy. It is one of the hardest times to-be-parents have to go through. Miscarriage, especially if you were anticipating the pregnancy will be a very devastating experience. It might cause a long-lasting emotional breakdown.
Very often, the reasons that bring about miscarriage are out of your control. And many a times you might not be able to pinpoint the exact reason for miscarriage. This is especially true with miscarriages during early pregnancy.
How does a miscarriage happen?
Miscarriage basically happens either when the uterus pushes the fetus out. Unfortunately, even doctors are helpless once the miscarriage starts. Nothing can stop it once the uterus starts to push the fetus out.
All your doctor can do is make you wait until the pregnancy tissues pass out completely. It might take from a few days to two to three weeks. Sometimes especially in late miscarriages, not all the tissues will be pushed out of the uterus.
In such situation a small surgical process – dilatation and curettage (D and C) will be performed to clear your womb and keep the infections at bay, this surgical process will be over in 5 to 10 min under general anaesthesia. The patient gets discharged in the same day.
Even though miscarriage can take a toll on you, what will trouble you more will be the lack of knowledge of the reason that triggered it. Understanding what triggered a miscarriage may help to ease your mind to some extent.
It can be disappointing if you miscarry, but it does not mean you will not have a healthy pregnancy later on. Many women who have had a miscarriage have had a healthy pregnancy later.
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10 Common Causes Of Miscarriage
There are countless reasons for miscarriage. As already mentioned above, many of the reasons that cause miscarriage are beyond your control. As cited above. 10-15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. However, the actual number may be higher owing to the fact that many early miscarriages are interpreted as periods as it happens before the mother realizes she is pregnant. We list below the 10 common causes of miscarriage, and hope you never have to suffer this grief.
1. Chromosomal abnormalities
According to studies, more than 50% of the miscarriages that happens in the first 12 week of pregnancy are due to chromosomal abnormalities. The abnormalities of chromosome can be numerical or structural.This makes it one of the most common causes of miscarriage.
All the human cells, apart from the gametes, carry 46 numbers of chromosomes. Gamete- the Sperm and egg cells- carries 23 chromosomes each. A baby inherits these 23 pair from each parent resulting in 46 number of chromosome.
Numerical abnormalities happen when there is a missing or extra chromosome. Missing one chromosome from the pair results in the condition called Monosomy. When there is an extra chromosome instead of a pair, results in a condition called Trisomy.
Down syndrome (Trisomy) and Turner syndrome (Monosomy) are examples of the condition due to numerical abnormalities of chromosomes.
A baby will not be able to grow normally with the wrong number of chromosomes or with structurally damaged ones. More often, this will result in miscarriage. In case the miscarriage did not happen, the baby will be born with intellectual or birth defects.
Structural abnormality happens when the structure of a chromosome is altered. This can happen as a result of deletion or duplication of the part of a chromosome. Translocation and inversion are the other two types of structural abnormality.
In Translocation, a segment of one chromosome will be transferred to another chromosome. Whereas, in inversion, a chromosome gets break somewhere and the broken segment turns upside down and get reattached
Numerical abnormalities in the chromosome are more common than the structural variations. Mother’s age and environmental factors play a role in triggering abnormalities in babies.
We cannot prevent chromosomal abnormalities from occurring. As the mother’s age increases the episodes of miscarriage also increases. This is more often due to chromosomal abnormalities.
The good news is that the chance of miscarriage due to chromosomal abnormalities, especially numerical chromosomal abnormalities in a subsequent pregnancy is very low. However, miscarriage due to structural chromosomal abnormalities, if inherited from parents, can happen in subsequent pregnancies.
2. Medical conditions of mother
Existing health condition of the mother can also contribute to miscarriage. Chronic health issues of expecting women can be the reason for miscarriages around 20th week of pregnancy. This is where prenatal screenings come into play, with the idea of identifying these conditions and taking preventive measures to avoid miscarriage, Some of the maternal health conditions that bring about miscarriage are:
Poorly controlled diabetes is one of the maternal health condition that increases the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy. Also, women with pre-existing elevated blood pressure also have a greater risk of miscarriage
Studies show that both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism increases the risk of miscarriage. Some blood clotting disorders and autoimmune diseases of the mother can potentially bring about a recurrent miscarriage.
3. Lifestyle of the to-be-parents
Unhealthy lifestyle choices increase the risk of miscarriage and it is listed as one of the common causes of miscarriage. Smoking while pregnancy, even secondhand smoking can bring about a miscarriage. So not just you, your spouse should also consider quitting smoking, as soon as you plan for a pregnancy.
Studies show that drinking alcohol, even small amounts, during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage by 17%.
Expecting mothers using illicit drugs are at a high risk of miscarriage owing to the effect of the toxins present in these drugs. Whenever you plan to be parents, you should evaluate your lifestyle and steer it in direction that are not just healthy and fulfilling for you but also your baby.
4. Environmental hazards
Besides active and passive smoking, getting exposed to certain substances in the residential community and office environment can bring about a toxin-induced miscarriage. Studies show certain environment factors can result in adverse pregnancy outcome, including miscarriage.
The risk of spontaneous miscarriage increases with even low level of lead exposure like lead on old water pipes and wall paints. Accidental exposure to chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA) can also cause miscarriage.
Women working in plastic, textile, paint and cloth industries are continuously exposed to organic solvents like degreasers, chemical removers, paint thinners etc. It is found that risk of miscarriage increases when you work with organic solvents.
Pregnant women, working in the garden or agricultural field, can come in touch with insecticides and pesticides and many other chemical compounds. The risk of miscarriage increases with chemical exposure.
5. Medications- one of the common causes of miscarriage
Even the OTC medicines you usually take for pain and other ailments can be unsafe to take during pregnancy. Likewise, the medicines doctor prescribed when you are not pregnant may not be safe during pregnancy. Studies prove that not all medicines are safe during pregnancy.
Here are medicines that can potentially bring about a miscarriage. Retinoid that is used to treat skin issues like acne and eczema can cause miscarriage. Likewise, medicines used for Rheumatic arthritis (like Methotrexate and misoprostol ) can cause miscarriage.
NSAIDs, the drugs used to treat mild to moderate pain, inflammation and fever, can cause miscarriage. Aspirin and Ibuprofen are two NSAID commonly used by many people.
6. Food poisoning
Food poisoning during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage. Studies show that foodborne illness can potentially cause spontaneous abortion. That is why diet during pregnancy assumes utmost importance.
Food poisonings like listeriosis (caused due to unpasteurized cheeses and undercooked food), salmonella (caused when you eat raw or undercooked eggs) and toxoplasmosis (protozoal infection catch through infected meat products) can adversely affect your pregnancy.
7. Hormonal imbalances
Hormonal imbalance can hamper the healthy development of uterine lining. This will affect the implantation of the fertilized egg. Improper implantation increases the risk of miscarriage. Hormonal imbalance is more often than not a main reason for recurring miscarriage and one of the common causes of spontaneous miscarriage.
8. Physical complication
Physical complications like abnormal uterus shape are many times a risk factor for miscarriage. Other physical complications like polyps, fibroid, and scarring in the uterus also increase the risk of miscarriage.
Cervical incompetence – weakened cervix is the main reason for miscarriage in the second trimester. Another cervical issue- cervical insufficiency- opening up of cervix too early- is another cause of miscarriage in the second trimester.
9. Trauma
Even though most of the time trauma is not the reason to trigger miscarriage, emotional and physical trauma, especially in early pregnancy, can lead to miscarriage. However, during the first trimester, the uterus will be safe inside the pelvis. The bones of pelvis protect the uterus to significant extent.
Therefore, the risk of miscarriage due to trauma during the first trimester of pregnancy is less. However, once the pregnancy enters second trimester, the uterus will come out of the protection of pelvic cavity, and hence the risk of miscarriage due to trauma also increases.
Physical trauma due to domestic violence and accidents that affect the uterus and placenta can cause miscarriage.
10. Infections
Studies show that maternal infections can bring about a miscarriage. Both bacterial and viral infections can cause miscarriage. Some maternal infections that increase the risk miscarriage are malaria, STD infections, germen measles, dengue, and vaginal infections.
Some infections like UTI alone cannot potentially cause miscarriage; however, if left untreated it will affect the kidneys. The infection can thus spread and bring about a condition called sepsis, which potentially can cause miscarriage.
Other Risk Factors That Can Cause Miscarriage
Other than the above issues, various other factors also increase the risk of miscarriage. Age of mother is one important factor. As the maternal age increases the chances of miscarriage also increases. Likewise, obesity of mother increases the chance of miscarriage.
Some invasive prenatal test like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling pose a risk of miscarriage to certain extend.
Miscarriage also can be happen during the third trimester. If the miscarriage happens in the seventh month, it is considered as stillbirth rather than a miscarriage.
The common causes of miscarriage during the seventh month differ from the causes of early miscarriages. Uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes is the main cause of late miscarriages
Multiple pregnancies and a liver condition called ICP can also cause late miscarriage History of late miscarriage in previous pregnancy increases its risk in consecutive pregnancies.
What Are The Causes Of Repeat Miscarriage?
Repeated or recurrent miscarriage means two or more miscarriages in consecutive pregnancies. Several factors can bring about a recurrent miscarriage. Here are three factors that cause repeat miscarriage.
1. Genetic issues
Genetic issue of developing embryo or genetic issue of both or one of the parents can bring about recurrent miscarriages. It is assumed that from 50 to 70% of early pregnancy losses happens as a result of chromosomal issues.
2. Hormonal imbalance
The process of implantation is regulated by hormones. An hormonal imbalance can, therefore, result in improper plantation increasing the risk of miscarriage.
3. Uterus issues
Non cancerous growths like fibroid and polyp, if left untreated, can result in recurrent miscarriage. Likewise, structural abnormalities of uterus can also result in repeated miscarriage.
Good news is that, if the underlying issue is treated, even after having three consecutive miscarriages, a woman still has 60 to 80 per cent possibility of getting pregnant and carrying a full-term pregnancy.
Miscarriage is the pregnancy loss before the 20th week of pregnancy. It is important to understand the common causes of miscarriage. Miscarriage, especially if you were anticipating the pregnancy will be a very devastating experience. It might cause a long-lasting emotional breakdown.
More often, the reasons that bring about miscarriage are out of your control. And many a time you might not be able to pinpoint the exact reason for miscarriage. This is especially true with miscarriages during early pregnancy.
The miscarriage happens either when the uterus pushes the fetus out. Unfortunately, even doctors are helpless once the miscarriage starts. Nothing can stop it once the uterus starts to push the fetus out.
All your doctor can do is make you wait until the pregnancy tissues pass out completely. It might take from a few days to two to three weeks. Sometimes especially in late miscarriages, not all the tissues will be pushed out of the uterus.
In such situation a small surgical process – dilatation and curettage (D and C) will be performed to clear your womb and keep the infections at bay, this surgical process will be over in 5 to 10 min under general anaesthesia. The patient get discharged in the same day.
Around 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. However, the actual number may be higher owing to the fact that many early miscarriages are interpreted as periods as it happens before the mother realizes she is pregnant.
Even though miscarriage can take a toll on you, what trouble you more will be the lack of knowledge of the reason that triggered miscarriage. Understanding what triggered miscarriage may help to ease your mind to some extent.
Miscarriage once happened does not mean it will happen again. Many women who have had a miscarriage have had a healthy pregnancy later.