What Are The Causes Of Miscarriage

What Causes a Miscarriage – Top Causes of Miscarriage

There are numerous reasons for the miscarriage to occur — and many of them are beyond control. Get insight into the most common causes of miscarriage.

Miscarriage is a medical incident that happens to some women and then it remains a mystery, which is very hard to take, knowing that they don’t know, and in many cases cannot find the right answer for what happened.

Types of Miscarriage

Not all the miscarriages are the same, so you have to know which is which to get the right treatment and support.

1. Threatened Miscarriage

If you notice a little vaginal bleeding or lower abdominal pain that is your body showing signs that you might miscarry. Although it is never always the case, the pain and bleeding might stop, and you can continue to have a healthy pregnancy.

An abnormal bleeding and abdominal pain that occurs while the pregnancy still continues is called a Threatened miscarriage. Threatened miscarriage occurs in 20 percent of all pregnancies before 20 weeks of gestation.

There is little to no chance that a doctor or midwife can protect the pregnancy at that stage.

2. Complete Miscarriage

A miscarriage is said to be complete when all the pregnancy tissues have left your uterus. However, vaginal bleeding might continue after several days, and painful cramping pain might occur, but you have nothing to worry about if it’s a complete miscarriage. A completed miscarriage can be confirmed by an ultrasound or by having a surgical curettage (D&C) performed. If you miscarried at home or somewhere else, go for a checkup to make sure the miscarriage is complete.

3. Incomplete Miscarriage

A miscarriage is incomplete when there is still some pregnancy tissues left in your uterus. However, similar to Complete Miscarriage, you might experience vaginal bleeding and cramping pain, which is fine. However, since it is an incomplete miscarriage, your doctor will need to access a short procedure called Dilation of the cervix and Curettage of the uterus to remove all the remaining pregnancy tissue.

4. Inevitable Miscarriage

Inevitable abortion is an early pregnancy with vaginal bleeding and dilatation of the cervix. It is similar to the Threatened Miscarriage, but it comes with a lot more cramping and vaginal bleeding. During the miscarriage, your cervix will open, and the developing fetus will leave with the bleeding.

5. Missed Miscarriage

Missed Miscarriage happens when the baby has died but stayed in the uterus. Signs of this would be a loss of pregnancy symptoms and the absence of fetal heart tones found on an ultrasound. With Missed Miscarriage, you might not notice anything, only when you go for a scan.

Myths About Miscarriage

There are some myths that are believed to be the cause of miscarriage, but there is no scientific or any other proof to support these beliefs. Myth such as, if a pregnant woman works out she might have a miscarriage. If the woman is stressed it will bring on a miscarriage. Passionate intercourse which results in an orgasm could result in a miscarriage. Poor eating habits and many others, all of which have not been proven.

Most of these myths related to woman’s negative lifestyle choices, stress or physical activity. Believing in these myths might be harmful and isolating, it also may cause feeling unnecessary self-guilt and affect your mental health, therefore you shouldn’t believe in them.

Psychological and Medical Aspects of Pregnancy Loss

Medical experts conclude that a miscarriage happens sometime after the baby has already been lost because the chromosomes did not replicate as they should resulting in chromosome abnormalities, resulting in loss of the baby and miscarriage happen.

Clinically put, a miscarriage is defined as the early and unplanned termination of a pregnancy. Emotionally, it is much more than that. Expectant parents often feel an innate sense of sadness and failure when they lose an unborn child. This can affect both the mother and father equally.

Much research has been carried out to discover why miscarriage occurs. Sometimes, the cause is apparent; other times, it is baffling, mainly when seemingly healthy parents fall victim.

TOP CAUSES OF MISCARRIAGE

It is agreed everywhere that there are five leading causes of miscarriage:

1. GENETICS

Genetics accounts for about 50% of all early miscarriages. For mostly unknown reasons, the baby fails to develop correctly in the womb. This eventually leads to a miscarriage, as the fetus is not healthy enough to continue growing.

2. HORMONAL IMBALANCE

Generally, when women find it difficult to conceive, they are more likely to miscarry. The main reason for difficulty with conception is hormonal imbalance, which also relates to reproductive organ disorders and diseases.

3. IMMUNE SYSTEM

Problems with blood supply to the placenta can starve the fetus of nutrients and leave it too weak to develop or survive.

4. INFECTION/ILLNESS

Very high temperatures and some viruses or infections, such as Rubella, may cause miscarriage, as can conditions such as diabetes.

5. ANATOMICAL

If the cervix is weak, it may begin to open as the womb becomes heavier in later pregnancy. Cysts may cause miscarriage in later pregnancy and can also alter the shape of the uterus, which can result in miscarriage.

Risk factors that might cause a miscarriage

The factors that cause these problems cannot always be avoided. The following are common risks, and how a pregnant mother should regard them when considering fetal health:

• Conditions such as Rubella, Diabetes, and PCOS can increase the probability of miscarriage. Sufferers should see a doctor or midwife for preventative measures as soon as pregnancy is suspected.
• There is no doubt that smoking causes miscarriage, so pregnant mothers should quit as soon as possible.
• A proven fact, as with smoking, the use of drugs (e.g., cocaine) can cause miscarriage and should be avoided.
• High Blood Pressure. Losing weight, gentle exercise and a healthy diet can reduce some cases of high blood pressure. However, medical intervention is necessary for conditions such as pre-eclampsia.
• Some prescription drugs can cause a miscarriage. With a doctor’s approval and support, withdrawal from these should be gradual and substituted with alternative medicine.
• An older woman is more likely to suffer a miscarriage, so it is important that they lead an extra healthy lifestyle when pregnant.

Can you prevent a miscarriage?

An expectant mother who leads as healthy, organic and active a life as possible may still have to experience the devastation of miscarriage. Even so, steps should always be taken to reduce the risk of miscarriage as much as possible, such as eating a healthy, balanced diet, doing light exercise, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding stress. Read more information about what can you do to prevent a miscarriage here.

Tips to prevent miscarriages

Random chromosomal Abnormalities in the fetus cause most miscarriages. So, regrettably, nothing can be done to avoid such miscarriages caused by genetic abnormalities.

Fortunately, not all miscarriages are the result of genetic abnormalities, and you can also prevent it by leading a healthy lifestyle before, during and after pregnancy. While it is advisable to talk to your doctor and always go for checkups during pregnancy, you can help yourself prevent this dreaded experience by following these steps.

• Practice hand hygiene. Wash your hands regularly to avoid contracting viral or bacterial infections due to pure hand hygiene either at home or at work. It is for your good to practice good hand hygiene after you use the toilet, or touch anything that may have been exposed to germs.
• Stop smoking. If you smoke, it is best to quit during pregnancy and even before. The reason you need to leave it is that the problem that happens mostly during pregnancy is cumulative effects of our lifestyle before pregnancy.
• Maintain kitchen hygiene. Sometimes we pick up germs from the unkempt kitchen. You should know that your kitchen is home to various types of bacteria and the best way to avoid them is through proper kitchen hygiene.
• Vaccinate against flu. There is a scientific study showing a reduction in miscarriage after flu shot because the H1N1 strain of the virus is dangerous to pregnant women.

Other housekeeping activities to prevent miscarriage include eating healthy, maintain a healthy weight, start your prenatal early, use your medications, imbibe safe sex culture, avoid alcohol.

Post Miscarriage Care

Getting over a miscarriage can be very painful and depressing. It can be a very lonely phase, but it doesn’t have to be. Talk to people and receive support from them, give yourself space and time to grieve and move on. If after some time, you feel you are not okay and then seek professional help. Always remember you are not alone!

Pregnancy after a miscarriage

Only about 1% of couples have two or more miscarriages in a row. You can ovulate and become pregnant as soon as two weeks after a miscarriage. Once you feel emotionally and physically ready for pregnancy after miscarriage, ask your health care provider for guidance.

A woman who has had intentional abortions previously in the past increases the risk of a miscarriage in future pregnancies. Intentional abortions can cause the cervix to become incompetent, or irritable and result in a miscarriage. Additionally, intentional abortions can result in the mother’s body being unable to maintain adequate levels of hormones that are needed to maintain pregnancy.

Signs and symptoms of a miscarriage

Some of the common symptoms of a miscarriage are cramping, backache with light spotting, moderate bleeding, and failure to feel the baby moving. However, these are not the only symptoms of a miscarriage. Click here to read the full article about the common signs and symptoms of a miscarriage. If a miscarriage is suspected, one should immediately seek the attention of a health care provider.