Miscarriage | |
---|---|
Other names | Spontaneous abortion, early pregnancy loss |
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An ultrasound showing a gestational sac containing a yolk sac but no embryo. | |
Specialty | Obstetrics and gynecology |
Symptoms | Vaginal bleeding with or without pain [1] |
Complications | Infection, bleeding, [2] sadness, anxiety, guilt [3] |
Usual onset | Before 20 weeks of pregnancy [4] |
Causes | Chromosomal abnormalities, [1] [5] uterine abnormalities [6] |
Risk factors | Being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, drug or alcohol use [7] [8] [9] |
Diagnostic method | Examination, human chorionic gonadotropin, ultrasound [10] |
Differential diagnosis | Ectopic pregnancy, implantation bleeding. [1] |
Prevention | Prenatal care [11] |
Treatment | Expectant management, misoprostol, vacuum aspiration, emotional support [8] [12] |
Frequency | 10–50% of pregnancies [1] [7] |
Miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the natural death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. [1] [4] Some use the cutoff of 20 weeks of gestation, after which fetal death is known as a stillbirth. [13] The most common symptom of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding with or without pain. [1] Sadness, anxiety and guilt may occur afterwards. [3] [14] Tissue and clot-like material may leave the uterus and pass through and out of the vagina. [15] When a woman keeps having miscarriages, infertility is present. [16]
Risk factors for miscarriage include being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems, and drug or alcohol use. [7] [8] About 80% of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (the first trimester). [1] The underlying cause in about half of cases involves chromosomal abnormalities. [5] [1] Diagnosis of a miscarriage may involve checking to see if the cervix is open or closed, testing blood levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and an ultrasound. [10] Other conditions that can produce similar symptoms include an ectopic pregnancy and implantation bleeding. [1]
Prevention is occasionally possible with good prenatal care. [11] Avoiding drugs, alcohol, infectious diseases, and radiation may decrease the risk of miscarriage. [11] No specific treatment is usually needed during the first 7 to 14 days. [8] [12] Most miscarriages will complete without additional interventions. [8] Occasionally the medication misoprostol or a procedure such as vacuum aspiration is used to remove the remaining tissue. [12] [17] Women who have a blood type of rhesus negative (Rh negative) may require Rho(D) immune globulin. [8] Pain medication may be beneficial. [12] Emotional support may help with processing the loss. [12]
Miscarriage is the most common complication of early pregnancy. [18] Among women who know they are pregnant, the miscarriage rate is roughly 10% to 20%, while rates among all fertilisation is around 30% to 50%. [1] [7] In those under the age of 35 the risk is about 10% while it is about 45% in those over the age of 40. [1] Risk begins to increase around the age of 30. [7] About 5% of women have two miscarriages in a row. [19] Some recommend not using the term " abortion" in discussions with those experiencing a miscarriage in an effort to decrease distress. [20]
Miscarriage | |
---|---|
Other names | Spontaneous abortion, early pregnancy loss |
![]() | |
An ultrasound showing a gestational sac containing a yolk sac but no embryo. | |
Specialty | Obstetrics and gynecology |
Symptoms | Vaginal bleeding with or without pain [1] |
Complications | Infection, bleeding, [2] sadness, anxiety, guilt [3] |
Usual onset | Before 20 weeks of pregnancy [4] |
Causes | Chromosomal abnormalities, [1] [5] uterine abnormalities [6] |
Risk factors | Being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, drug or alcohol use [7] [8] [9] |
Diagnostic method | Examination, human chorionic gonadotropin, ultrasound [10] |
Differential diagnosis | Ectopic pregnancy, implantation bleeding. [1] |
Prevention | Prenatal care [11] |
Treatment | Expectant management, misoprostol, vacuum aspiration, emotional support [8] [12] |
Frequency | 10–50% of pregnancies [1] [7] |
Miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the natural death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. [1] [4] Some use the cutoff of 20 weeks of gestation, after which fetal death is known as a stillbirth. [13] The most common symptom of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding with or without pain. [1] Sadness, anxiety and guilt may occur afterwards. [3] [14] Tissue and clot-like material may leave the uterus and pass through and out of the vagina. [15] When a woman keeps having miscarriages, infertility is present. [16]
Risk factors for miscarriage include being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems, and drug or alcohol use. [7] [8] About 80% of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (the first trimester). [1] The underlying cause in about half of cases involves chromosomal abnormalities. [5] [1] Diagnosis of a miscarriage may involve checking to see if the cervix is open or closed, testing blood levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and an ultrasound. [10] Other conditions that can produce similar symptoms include an ectopic pregnancy and implantation bleeding. [1]
Prevention is occasionally possible with good prenatal care. [11] Avoiding drugs, alcohol, infectious diseases, and radiation may decrease the risk of miscarriage. [11] No specific treatment is usually needed during the first 7 to 14 days. [8] [12] Most miscarriages will complete without additional interventions. [8] Occasionally the medication misoprostol or a procedure such as vacuum aspiration is used to remove the remaining tissue. [12] [17] Women who have a blood type of rhesus negative (Rh negative) may require Rho(D) immune globulin. [8] Pain medication may be beneficial. [12] Emotional support may help with processing the loss. [12]
Miscarriage is the most common complication of early pregnancy. [18] Among women who know they are pregnant, the miscarriage rate is roughly 10% to 20%, while rates among all fertilisation is around 30% to 50%. [1] [7] In those under the age of 35 the risk is about 10% while it is about 45% in those over the age of 40. [1] Risk begins to increase around the age of 30. [7] About 5% of women have two miscarriages in a row. [19] Some recommend not using the term " abortion" in discussions with those experiencing a miscarriage in an effort to decrease distress. [20]