Miscarriage

Other causes of miscarriage include infections and hormonal imbalances. In rare cases, a woman's immune system rejects the fetus, or antibodies from the immune system may cause problems with placenta blood flow. Immune-system disorders are responsible for miscarriages in 5% to 10% of women who have had three or more miscarriages in a row. One fairly common antibody problem that can lead to miscarriage is called “antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.”

Women with diseases such as poorly controlled diabetes or severe hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) are at higher risk of miscarriage. Having rubella (German measles) during early pregnancy has been associated with miscarriage. Environmental factors, such as smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy, may increase your risk of having a miscarriage. Miscarriage is not caused by regular physical activities, minor accidents, exercise, sexual intercourse, or minor stumbles or falls.

Miscarriages and possible miscarriages are categorized in several ways:

• Threatened miscarriage - A miscarriage is considered threatened, or possible, when any bleeding from the uterus occurs before 20 weeks but the cervix is closed and the fetus is alive.

• Inevitable abortion or miscarriage - A miscarriage is called inevitable, meaning it cannot be stopped, if there is bleeding from the uterus and the cervix is opening prior to 20 weeks, but neither the fetus nor placenta have passed out of the woman's body yet. The membranes around the fetus may or not have ruptured (broken).

• Incomplete abortion or miscarriage - A miscarriage is incomplete when a portion of the fetus or placenta has passed out of the uterus prior to 20 weeks gestation, but some of the placental or fetus remains in the uterus.

• Complete miscarriage - A miscarriage is complete if the fetus, all the membranes around the fetus and the placenta are expelled completely and the cervix closes prior to 20 weeks.

• Missed abortion or miscarriage - A missed abortion refers to a miscarriage in which the fetus has died prior to 20 weeks gestation, but neither the fetus nor the placenta has been expelled from the uterus.

• Recurrent miscarriage - A woman is said to have recurrent miscarriage after three or more miscarriages in a row. Approximately 1% of women experience recurrent miscarriages.

• Blighted ovum or anembryonic gestation - This occurs when a gestational sac forms inside the uterus, but no fetus is present after seven weeks.

If a pregnancy ends after 20 weeks, it is not considered a miscarriage. It is a delivery, and if the fetus is not living the event is called a stillbirth.

Symptoms

Symptoms of miscarriage include:

• Vaginal bleeding that may start as a brownish discharge

• Cramps in the pelvic area, lower back or abdomen

• A decrease in the usual signs of early pregnancy, such as nausea and breast tenderness

• Pain in the lower back or abdomen

• Tissue or blood clots passing from the vagina