Prevention, causes, diagnose and treatment
What is miscarriage?
Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. About 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. But the actual number is likely higher because many miscarriages occur very early in pregnancy — before you might even know about pregnancy.
The term “miscarriage” might suggest that something went wrong in the carrying of the pregnancy. But this is rarely true. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus isn’t developing as expected. Miscarriage is a relatively common experience — but that doesn’t make it any easier. Take a step toward emotional stress by understanding what can cause a miscarriage, what increases the risk, and what medical care might be needed. Black women face a significantly higher risk of having a miscarriage than white.
Causes
Most early miscarriages (as many as 60% of first trimester ones) will remain by Sexually infection in Africa. It is usually assumed these losses are genetic, many people will assume that something that happened recently, such as an illness, fall, or exposure to something will have caused the miscarriage. This is rarely true, since by the time a miscarriage is diagnosed or begins, the baby has been lost for quite some time.
There are several categories of miscarriage causes:
Sexually transmitted infections, hormonal disorders, chromosome defects, physical problem with the womb or cervix neck of the womb, immune disorders, other, unknown, pregnancy out site the womb, and stillbirth. There are a number of things that are not on the list above, even if you heard they cause miscarriage, because they are not documented causes of a loss.
Hormonal disorders
When we talk about a hormone problem, you have likely miscarried in less than 10 weeks. After that, the placenta (after birth) has taken over hormone production and any normal deficiency you have is not a factor.
The only situation which is formed along with egg at ovulation, does not produce the hormones needed to sustain a pregnancy. For most women, however, this is usually not an every-month problem.
Low hormone levels however, is usually a symptom of a nonviable pregnancy, and not the cause. Doctors often prescribe hormone medicine out of patient pressure when the hormone levels are low, but their use is controversial and usually completely ineffective. A common treatment for suspected hormones is Clomid, a pill taken for five days early in your cycle to up your hormone production. Not everyone is a candidate for the medicine.
Other hormone problems may be created when you have an untreated thyroid disorder. Your thyroid function can easily be tested, and this problem is very treatable.
Chromosome defects, genetic
There are many factors that come into play when the egg and sperm unite and form that first cell. Even if both the egg and sperm come with perfect chromosomes, the first few cell divisions can see an abnormality crop up that would certainly be devastating.
You can usually find out if you had a baby with a chromosome, genetic problem through testing tissue from the miscarriage. This must be done RIGHT AWAY when the tissue comes out or the cells cannot grow and the test won’t work. If this is your first miscarriage, however, do not go to great lengths to save tissue. After the 2nd trimester begins, the number of miscarriages caused by genetic factors drops to less than 10 percent.
Physical problem with the womb and or neck of the womb
Some women have a womb that does not have the usual shape. Others have a neck of the womb that may be weakened by a number of causes, including multiple surgical procedures.
As the baby grows, especially during the very rapid growth spurt during this time frame, the irregularly shaped of the womb may not be able to expand or the weak of the neck of the womb may start to open up and let the baby out. There are treatments for both of these that are quite effective—corrective surgery on the womb and a cervical stitch that holds the neck of the womb closed. This problem WILL REOCCUR if not treated.
A womb abnormality often causes a miscarriage due to early birth, but it can also cause a baby’s demise, which is what happened to our Casey.
As Casey grew and required more and more blood and nutrition, this area could not support him. Although chose a better implantation spot, this problem caused her to be breech and required a C-section. While I did have the surgery to correct this problem.
Others—infections, age, chronic diseases
Many infections can cause miscarriage, but they are the big ones like syphilis, and malaria. An upper respiratory infection is NOT going to cause a miscarriage, even though it may worry you to death. Viruses are the same. Normal illnesses like the common cold will not cause a problem, but AIDS and German measles can. Infections that directly affect the womb are a bigger risk. This does NOT include yeast infections, which are extremely common in pregnancy.
There are a few common illnesses that can cause a miscarriage or baby’s abnormalities if you get them for the FIRST-TIME during pregnancy, including chicken pox and disease. The vast majority of women already have immunity to these diseases, however, and should not be concerned about exposure to them during pregnancy. If you think you may not have immunity, ask your doctor for treatments.
An infection that causes a fever of over 40 degrees should be treated immediately, however. There is a small risk that prolonged fever can affect your baby. Take Tylenol to keep your fever down and stay in touch with your doctor.
Age is only a factor in miscarriage when you consider what aging can do to your body. The first and most common is with genetics. It is not YOU who have a problem; it is likely your egg or sperm, which have also aged. Age can, however, bring other problems such as poor health, disease, or hormonal imbalance that can make a pregnancy harder to sustain. You don’t start seeing these problems in great numbers, however, until after 40.
Health problems in the mother can create problems with the pregnancy. Diabetes, heart problems, and thyroid disorders are just a few that may complicate the pregnancy. Having these does NOT mean you will certainly have a miscarriage. You will simply have to be more careful and make sure your treatments are adapted if needed during pregnancy., Miscarriages are different for every person, but there are some common symptoms.
Not all miscarriages are physically painful, but most people have cramps. The cramps are really strong for some people, and light for others (like a period or less). It’s also common to have vaginal bleeding and to pass large blood clots up to the size of a lemon. Heavy miscarriage bleeding can be scary or surprising, but it’s usually normal., The bleeding and cramping can end quickly, or it may last for several hours. Your doctor can give you medicine and tips on how to manage pain and cramps during your miscarriage., No matter how fast it happens or whether or not it hurts, miscarriage can be upsetting. Keep in touch with your doctor about what’s going on and how you’re feeling. Your doctor can let you know what is and isn’t normal, and give you resources for emotional support if you need it.
What can you expect to feel after having a miscarriage?
There’s no one way that all people feel after having a miscarriage. You may feel a mix of emotions, including disappointment, despair, shock, guilt, grief, and relief — sometimes all at the same time. All of these feelings are really normal, and usually, fade as time passes., Take care of yourself physically and emotionally, and give yourself permission to grieve your loss if you need to. Grief and sadness are very normal responses to miscarriage. Try to surround yourself with supportive and loving people who will let you grieve and comfort you. If you have a partner, they may be grieving the loss and dealing with a range of emotions, too. Talking about your feelings and supporting each other can help you both cope.
The amount of time it takes to emotionally heal after a miscarriage is different for everyone. Give yourself as much time as you need to grieve. Most people feel better when they have someone supportive to talk to., Even if you don’t think there’s anybody in your life you can lean on, know that you’re not alone. Your nurse or doctor can talk with you, or help you find a counselor or support group in your area. There are also many online support groups to connect with others who are going through the same thing as you. All-Options has a free hotline that gives you a private space to talk about your feelings after a pregnancy loss.
If you want to get pregnant again, your doctor, Midwife and Nurses can give you advice on planning your next pregnancy and help you figure out when it’s best to start trying again. They can also give you tips on preventing pregnancy and help you get birth control if you don’t want to get pregnant right now.
What if you have had more than 1 miscarriage?
If you’ve had 2 or more miscarriages in a row, your doctor might want to do some tests to help figure out if something specific is causing problems with your pregnancies. The tests will check for any hormonal imbalances, genetic disorders, or other problems. Some conditions can be treated to help you have a healthy pregnancy in the future.
What are the different types of miscarriages?
Threatened miscarriage — You have vaginal bleeding and may have mild cramps, but your neck of the womb stays closed. Half of the time, the bleeding stops, and your pregnancy go on normally. The other half of threatened miscarriages become inevitable miscarriages and end in pregnancy loss.
Inevitable miscarriage — You have increasing bleeding, and your cervix opens. If this happens, there’s no chance for your pregnancy to continue.
Incomplete miscarriage — Some of the pregnancy tissue comes out of your uterus, and some stays inside. You may need follow-up treatment to remove the remaining tissue.
Complete miscarriage — All the pregnancy tissue comes out of your uterus. You usually don’t need any extra treatment.
Missed miscarriage — You have no cramps or bleeding. But ultrasound shows an embryo without a heartbeat or an empty pregnancy sac without an embryo. Usually, the tissue passes on its own, but you may need treatment.
Treatments for miscarriage include medicines or procedures that are very similar to those used for abortion. A nurse or doctor puts a thin plastic tube in your womb during aspiration and removes the pregnancy tissue with gentle suction., Miscarriages can be dangerous if they’re not treated. Call your doctor right away if you have any signs or symptoms of miscarriage.
What are the risk factors for miscarriage?
A risk factor is a trait or behavior that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease or predisposes a person to a certain condition. Risk factors for miscarriage include: Maternal age.
Can you get pregnant after you had a miscarriage? Yes. Most people (87%) who have miscarriages have subsequent normal pregnancies and births. Having a miscarriage does not necessarily mean you have a fertility problem. About 1% of people might have repeated miscarriages (three or more). Remember that usually a miscarriage cannot be prevented and often occurs because the pregnancy is not normal., Although there is no recommended waiting period to attempt pregnancy, it may be appropriate to discuss the timing of your next pregnancy with your healthcare provider. To prevent another miscarriage, your healthcare provider might recommend treatment with a hormone needed for implantation in the womb. If you have an illness, treating the condition can improve the chances of a successful pregnancy.
