Aware Of 8 Common Miscarriage Causes!

Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks. In the vast majority of cases, there is no way to prevent miscarriage.

Having a miscarriage doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to get pregnant again and most of the women go on to have a successful pregnancy.

The most common symptom of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding that can range from light spotting to heavier than a period.

You can also experience blood clots, brown discharge or other tissues that are not identifiable.

Here are the common causes of miscarriage:

Miscarriage is more common in women who become pregnant during their 30’s. Here are some causes:

1. Chromosomal abnormalities

According to the research, up to 70% of first trimester miscarriages and 20% of second trimester miscarriages are only due to a glitch in the fetus’s genes. As you age, your eggs are more likely to have faulty chromosomes.

Abnormalities in the chromosomes of the fetus are the most common causes for the loss of pregnancy. About half of the miscarriages in the first 13 weeks are due to chromosomal abnormalities. Normally, miscarriage removes about 95% of the fertilized egg.

This type of spontaneous abortion usually occurs before you know that you are pregnant. Sometimes, these chromosomal irregularities are due to parents’ genes.

This is more possible when you have had recurrent miscarriages or if there is a family history of birth defects.

Genetic tests and analyzing the fetal material after the miscarriage can help your doctor to determine the exact problem.

2. Chronic illnesses

Chronic illnesses, particularly those that restrict blood flow to the fetus can increase the chance of miscarriage.

Among those, certain conditions include: thyroid disease, diabetes, heart disease, lupus and certain illnesses such as rubella, Chlamydia and herpes. Controlling the conditions before and during the pregnancy can reduce the threat of miscarriage.

3. Hormone balance

Some women can not produce enough progesterone, which is the hormone that makes the uterine lining to nourish the fertilized egg. If the womb lining can not hold the egg, it finally leads to miscarriage.

To avoid this problem, you can take progesterone supplements in the form of an injection or in rectal or vaginal suppositories. Blood test and a biopsy of small amount of tissue removed from the uterine lining can find whether you are producing enough progesterone or not.

Sometimes, hormonal imbalance is also due to thyroid disease or diabetes.

4. Uterus and cervical abnormalities

Anything physically mistaken in the cervix or uterus can cause miscarriage. You can have some of these abnormalities right from the birth. Some conditions such as fibroids and widening of the cervix too early during the pregnancy without any labor signs can release the fetus from uterus.

About 15% of the miscarriages are due to these types of problems. In order to diagnose these conditions, your doctor injects some fluid into the uterine cavity and then takes an X-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes.

Other method to examine your uterus is inserting a long and thin instrument through the vagina. Sometimes, cervix condition can not be determined until you reach 15^th week.

5. Immune system abnormalities

Some women experience recurrent miscarriages since their bodies consider each baby as an invading organism and attack it with antibodies.

Generally, all the elements of the immune system of the mother’s body should work together in order to hold the baby. If there is any problem in providing the coordination, a miscarriage occurs.

Other immune abnormalities and autoimmune diseases can cause miscarriage. If the mother’s blood contains high risk antibodies, then chances of miscarriage are more. 70-75% of pregnant women with lupus associated antibodies are at high risk of miscarriage.

6. Excess caffeine intake

Consuming 200 milligrams or more caffeine each day can keep you at twice the risk of having miscarriage. This is because chemicals present in the caffeine cross the placenta and disturb the developing cells.

7. Excess alcohol, smoking and drug use

Exposing the fetus to large amounts of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes can cause miscarriage as they can pose poisonous effects on the developing cells.

8. Maternal stress

Stress increases the hormone cortisol. Some amount of cortisol is normal during pregnancy, but elevated levels can lead to miscarriage. High cortisol levels during the first three weeks of pregnancy can keep you three times at risk of having miscarriage.