What Causes Miscarriage
Experiencing a miscarriage could be utterly disheartening. The world comes shattering on you, and you are traumatized to the core. When you miscarry a pregnancy, you not only lose your baby but also all the plans and goals you made as soon as you learned you were expecting.
Every woman has a unique miscarriage or pregnancy loss experience. In some cases of miscarriage, women may experience severe bleeding while some miscarriages may cause total loss of foetus inside the uterus but with no symptoms. However, there are no definite reasons as to what causes miscarriage.
Noteworthy - The majority of losses occur in the first trimester, and beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage drops to just 2%
Types of miscarriages
Miscarriages can be categorized into the following types:
Early Miscarriage
Early miscarriages are those which occur within the first three months of pregnancy. They are typically brought on by chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Chromosomes or DNA hold the development-related instructions for your child. It may occur due to an accident as well.
Late or Recurrent Miscarriage
Recurrent and late miscarriages can result from a variety of causes. Three consecutive miscarriages or more are typically considered to be recurrent miscarriages.
A pregnancy that ends between 14 and 24 weeks of gestation, it is known as late miscarriage.
Did you know? According to research, 60 to 75% of conceptions may actually result in early pregnancy losses.
What causes miscarriage?
Although there are no specific grounds for a miscarriage, research and observations over the years in the medical field have discovered a few probable causes:
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS)
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a syndrome that increases the risk of blood clotting. Although it is uncommon, this can lead to late and repeated miscarriages.
Thrombophilia
Having Thrombophilia may elevate the risk of blood clotting resulting in recurrent and late miscarriages. It is a genetic disorder.
Genetic influences
Genetic factors can occasionally be the cause of recurrent miscarriage. A chromosomal defect in one partner may occasionally result in recurrent miscarriages. It’s possible that the partner is unaware of this anomaly. In about 2 to 5% of cases, genetic factors could be one of the reasons.
Weak Cervix
A fragile cervix could be the cause of a miscarriage that occurs between 14 and 23 weeks of pregnancy. Unfortunately, if you are not pregnant, it might be challenging to diagnose this.
However, it can be suspected if your waters broke early in a prior pregnancy or if the womb’s neck opened during a prior loss without any pain.
Infant’s developmental issues
A miscarriage could result from any defects in the unborn child. However, it is doubtful if these issues are the prime reasons for repeated miscarriages.
Infection
A miscarriage can occur from any infection, making you feel ill. Miscarriages can also occur by less severe diseases that damage the fetus.
The uterus’s shape
It is unclear how much a uterus with an irregular shape contributes to early or repeated miscarriages. While substantial fibroids and polyps are linked to recurrent loss, minor changes do not appear to be the cause of miscarriage.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome is rather a frequent cause of miscarriages. When the ovaries don’t release an egg on time during a menstrual cycle (from the start of a period to the start of the next one), the ovaries get enlarged. This may cause severe hormonal changes hindering a woman from getting pregnant.
Age
You have no control over your age. But regrettably, age does raise the chance of miscarriage. According to a medical study, the probability of miscarriage is 8.9% for women between the ages of 20 and 24 and the chances rise to 74.7% for women over the age of 45.
Dr Partha Das provides you with the best pregnancy loss care
Dr Partha Das is an infertility specialist in Dubai who focuses on treating a wide range of illnesses that either directly or indirectly impair pregnancy. He holds expertise in diagnosing and treating health issues, including uterine polyps, fibroids, scarring, endometritis, cervicitis, hormone imbalances, embryonic chromosomal abnormalities, and other possibilities.
He is an empathetic obstetrician and gynecologist as well as a patient listener. He will analyze your pregnancy issues, understand them, and explain what causes miscarriages and their probabilities.
If you have faced multiple miscarriages, don’t lose hope; talk to our fertility consultant right away.