Miscarriage is losing a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy. An early miscarriage mostly occurs during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After that period, the term for baby loss is considered late miscarriage. This is the most devastating event in a couple’s life.
Most people are unaware of the high number of pregnancies which often end in a miscarriage. This thing actually happens during the first three months of pregnancy. Doctors claim that miscarriage is like a “spontaneous abortion”. There are 15 % - 25 % pregnancies estimated to end in miscarriage. In the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage is high. Some women have a miscarriage before even they come to know of the pregnancy.
What triggers a miscarriage?
Some mothers don’t exactly know the causes of miscarriage. This problem usually happens when the embryo is not well-developed as it should be. Though, the common cause of losing the baby is the chromosome problem. Many women feel guilty thinking they might have done something wrong that resulted in miscarriage.
Miscarriage can possibly be avoided if the baby has enough supply of chromosome. Abnormalities of the chromosomes happen because of some changes to a chromosome’s structure. Miscarriage is most likely to occur because of the health problems of the mother rather than the baby inside as the mother is the one controlling on what she is doing for the baby to develop normally, but this is not often the case.
Possible causes of a miscarriage
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Genetic problems
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Complications in implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus
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Hormonal problems of the parents
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Infections
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Abnormalities or injury to the fetus
What determines risk of miscarriage?
Your age: If a woman is 30 years of age, she might be at risk of miscarriage from one to five months of pregnancy. At the age of 42 a woman might be at risk during her first two weeks of pregnancy.
Your Health: Being overweight , poor health condition such as diabetes or thyroid problems, can also increase the risk of having miscarriage.
Your Lifestyle: Taking cocaine, smoking, and heavy drinking can increase the chance of miscarriage. The lifestyle also plays a decisive role here.
Symptoms
Bleeding is among the most common symptoms of miscarriage. Threatened miscarriage happens when a woman bleeds at the beginning of pregnancy. Other symptoms of miscarriage are pain at the lower back, stomach, and some parts of the body. The doctor will have to monitor your symptoms for a few days while you’re pregnant for the baby’s protection.
You need to undergo blood test in order to determine the pregnancy hormone and human chronic gonadotropin and also ultrasound to get the visual development of the baby inside the womb.