Medically, a miscarriage is also known as a spontaneous abortion. It can also be known as pregnancy loss. Unfortunately, miscarriages are more common than many people realise. Studies suggest that about 1 in 8 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Some miscarriages can happen before the woman realises that she is pregnant.
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It is important for expectant mothers to understand to avoid self-blame for what is often an unavoidable event. Miscarriages also have long-term impacts on women, with mental health issues that can continue for years. Below, we will highlight the risk factors of miscarriage and talk about how to seek guidance and support.
There are several different types of miscarriages, and understanding them will help you be better informed should you see any strange symptoms.
Different Types Of Miscarriages
- Threatened Miscarriage: In a threatened miscarriage, you may have symptoms like light vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramps, but yoDur cervix remains closed. This might continue for a few days or even weeks. The symptoms might improve and you may go on to have a healthy baby, or the symptoms might get worse and you will go on to have a miscarriage. Unfortunately, there is nothing a doctor or you can do to prevent a miscarriage. For a threatened miscarriage, it was earlier recommended to get bed rest, however, there is no scientific evidence to prove that bed rest could prevent a miscarriage.
- Inevitable Miscarriage: An inevitable miscarriage is when a miscarriage has already begun. You will have intense cramps in the lower abdomen, accompanied by vaginal bleeding. Your cervix will be open, and the pregnancy tissue will come out with the bleeding.
- Incomplete Miscarriage: This is when some pregnancy tissue remains in your uterus, while some of it has passed. You might have ongoing bleeding and cramping as the uterus tries to complete the miscarriage, or it may have stopped altogether. If pregnancy tissue remains in your uterus, you are at risk of developing an infection. Consult your doctor so that they can assess whether you need medications or surgery to complete the miscarriage.
- Complete Miscarriage: If all of the pregnancy tissue has left your uterus, a complete miscarriage has taken place. Symptoms like severe cramping, similar to period cramps, will happen as the uterus contracts to empty its contents. This bleeding may continue for many days and get lighter eventually once the uterus is empty. If you have had a miscarriage at home, you should get checked by a doctor to make sure the miscarriage was complete and prevent the risk of an infection from an incomplete miscarriage.
- Missed Miscarriage: At times, a pregnancy can end without any symptoms of a miscarriage. You might go for a routine scan and be informed that you are no longer pregnant. Symptoms associated with pregnancy, such as nausea, may have reduced or gone away. You should discuss support options with your doctor if this happens to you.
Main Causes Of Miscarriage In Pregnancy
If you have had a miscarriage, you might wonder why it happened just to seek some closure from such a traumatic event. Here are some reasons why the miscarriage may have happened. Just remember that a miscarriage is never your fault. - Chromosomal Abnormalities: Chromosomal abnormalities are the most common cause of a miscarriage. These are caused by aneuploidy, which means there are missing or extra chromosomes.
- Uterine or Cervical Issues: Uterine or cervical issues can cause miscarriages by interfering with embryonic development.
- Hormonal Imbalances: Hormonal imbalances like progesterone, thyroxine, or prolactin can prevent the uterine lining from forming properly to support the fertilised egg.
- Infections: Some bacterial, protozoal, and viral infections can cause miscarriages. Infections like rubella, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV can cause miscarriages.
- Lifestyle Factors: Some lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking, and taking recreational drugs can increase your chances of a miscarriage.
- Chronic Conditions: Some chronic conditions like high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, diabetes, hypertension, and other autoimmune diseases can increase the chances of a miscarriage.
- Exposure to TORCH diseases: TORCH stands for Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes. TORCH infections can increase the risk of miscarriages. Vaccinations and washing your hands frequently can prevent the risk of these diseases.
- Hormonal imbalances: Hormonal imbalances like thyroid disease, elevated prolactin levels, and uncontrolled diabetes can cause you to miscarry.
- Implantation: If the implantation has not happened properly, it can cause a miscarriage. This can often happen if the uterine lining has not developed fully for implantation to occur.
- Uterine abnormalities: There are quite a few uterine abnormalities like intrauterine adhesions, uterine polyps, and uterine fibroids that could cause a miscarriage.
- Kidney Disease: People who have chronic kidney disease are at a higher risk of miscarrying, early labour, and intrauterine growth retardation.
- Congenital heart disease: Congenital heart disease does increase the risk of a miscarriage, however, with regular checks with your cardiologist, this can be managed.
- Unmanaged diabetes: Diabetes can increase the risk of a miscarriage. People who have Type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk.
- Radiation: If you have been exposed to radiation during the early stages of your pregnancy, you may have a higher risk of miscarrying.
- Malnutrition: Chronic malnutrition can cause miscarriage and other issues like foetal growth issues and preterm labour.
- Using isotretinoin: Isotretinoin is a medication prescribed to treat severe cystic acne. If used in early pregnancy, studies have found that it increases the chance of miscarrying by 40%.
Other than these, there are some additional risk factors that you need to be aware of. Here are some of them.
- Age: Age increases the risk of miscarriage, and most of the miscarriages happening due to age are because of chromosomal abnormalities.
- Previous Miscarriages: There is about a 20% risk of a miscarriage if you have had one previously.
- Weight: Being overweight or underweight can increase your risk of a miscarriage.
How Will I know If I Am Having A Miscarriage?
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of a miscarriage is very important so you can consult your doctor right away if you think something unusual is happening to your body. Some common signs are:- Vaginal Bleeding: Vaginal bleeding that is similar to a period should not be ignored. Bleeding can progress from light to heavy, and you may pass grey tissue.
- Cramping: If you have severe abdominal cramps that feel similar to period cramps or labour contractions, it could be a sign of a miscarriage.
- Loss of foetal movement: A decrease or an absence of movement in your uterus could be a sign of a miscarriage
- Other signs: You could also experience fatigue, dizziness, headaches, weakness, or back pain.
Diagnosis and Tests
Your doctor may do a few tests to determine whether or not you are having a miscarriage. Some of these are:- Blood tests: Blood tests are done to determine the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the blood. If the doctor sees falling levels of hCG, it could mean that the pregnancy has been lost.
- Pelvic exam: Your doctor might check to see if your cervix or the lower part of your uterus has opened. If it has, it means a miscarriage may be happening.
- Ultrasound: Your doctor will check for a foetal heartbeat and see if the baby is growing normally. If the results are not clear, they may ask you to come back for another ultrasound in the coming week.
The Emotional Impact Of Miscarriage
A miscarriage is an extremely traumatising period to go through. It can lead to guilt, grief, and anxiety. One of the most important things to remember is that it was not your fault. Do not isolate yourself, talk about your feelings to your trusted support system. You should also reach out to online communities of people who have been through the same. This can be very beneficial, as people around you may not understand the gravity of what you went through, but strangers in the community who have been through the same would understand.A miscarriage is one of the most traumatising period for a pregnant woman to go through. Understanding everything about a miscarriage can help you get some closure as to why it happened, and that it was never your fault. Joining an online support group might be a good idea, as you can connect with people who may have experienced the same.
Address the role of support groups: Emphasise the from others who have experienced miscarriage.
FAQs on Understanding Miscarriage and Its Risk Factors
- How painful is a miscarriage?
The pain of a miscarriage can vary. Some women report pain similar to menstrual cramps, while others have reported severe cramping. This also depends on the type of miscarriage, as complete miscarriages are less painful than incomplete ones that require surgical intervention. - What happens first during a miscarriage?
Vaginal bleeding is one of the first things that happens during a miscarriage. It might vary from spotting to major bleeding. It may or may not be associated with cramping. - How long does a miscarriage take?
A miscarriage can last anywhere between a few hours and a few weeks. This depends on the stage of pregnancy at which you have miscarried. - What are the treatments for a miscarriage?
Different types of miscarriages require varied treatments. In terms of a threatened miscarriage, the doctor might recommend bed rest till the symptoms go away. For a complete miscarriage, the doctor will allow the process to happen naturally and only suggest surgical methods if all the tissue has not passed. You might also be prescribed a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol to help all the tissue pass. - What are some of the symptoms after a miscarriage?
The symptoms of miscarriage can vary, but vaginal bleeding is the most clear symptom that miscarriage is occurring. Other symptoms include abdominal cramps that can range from mild to severe. - What tests should I have after repeated miscarriages?
After repeated miscarriages, a doctor may suggest blood tests, chromosomal tests, and ultrasounds. Other tests, such as hormone tests, may also be conducted to test for any imbalances. - How can I prevent another miscarriage?
Unfortunately, miscarriages cannot be prevented. However, there are certain things you can do to reduce the risk of a miscarriage, like avoiding unhealthy substances like tobacco and alcohol, taking supplements of folic acid and vitamin D, eating healthy, and engaging in regular exercise.
