Sign and symptom of miscarriage. This is my first pregnancy, and I'm very nervous about having a miscarriage. What exactly is a miscarriage? A miscarriage is a loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation. An embryo or a fetus is delivered before it can survive outside the womb. This may also be called a spontaneous abortion. Loss of the fetus after 20 weeks is a stillbirth. Why do miscarriages occur? Most of the time we don't know a miscarriage can happen for many different reasons. The most common finding in early miscarriages is abnormal development of the early embryo. Research indicates that more than half of these miscarriages have chromosomal abnormalities. Outside factors can also cause miscarriage. Maternal factors are also believed to be relevant in some miscarriages. Do miscarriages occur very often? Miscarriages occur in 1 out of every 4 pregnancies; about 25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.
What kind of outside factors can cause a miscarriage? Research has shown that radiation and some chemicals {drugs or medications) may cause a miscarriage. What maternal factors can cause a miscarriage? There are maternal factors that can increase the chance of miscarriage. These factors include the following: - Research has shown that unusual infections in the mother-to-be, such as listeriosis, toxoplasmosis and syphilis, may cause miscarriage.
- A deficiency of progesterone is believed by some to be a cause of early miscarriage; if detected early enough, it may be treatable, but not everyone agrees with this.
- Genital infections have been shown to trigger miscarriage. When an infection is found, the woman and her partner are treated.
- Sometimes a woman's body makes antibodies that attack the fetus or disrupt the function of the placenta.
- Women who smoke have a higher rate of miscarriage.
- Alcohol also has been blamed for an increased rate of miscarriage.
I've heard that sometimes a particular couple can have a high risk of miscarriage. Can you explain this? This does cause some confusion for many people, but it is fairly easy to understand. When a couple's genes unite upon fertilization of the egg by the sperm, the union can produce genetic abnormalities that can cause a miscarriage. Genetic screening can sometimes reveal this, if this is the problem Can nutrient deficiency cause a miscarriage? We have no concrete evidence that deficiency of any particular nutrient or even moderate deficiency of all nutrients can cause a miscarriage. Can a woman cause a miscarriage to occur? Not usually, so don't blame yourself if you have a miscarriage. It's a normal reaction to look for a reason for losing a pregnancy and to think you might have done something wrong. Many women try to blame stress, emotional upset or physical activity for causing a miscarriage. These things do not usually cause miscarriages. I've heard that there are different types of miscarriage. What are they? Following are the medical descriptions for types of miscarriage: - threatened miscarriage
- inevitable miscarriage
- incomplete miscarriage
- missed miscarriage
- habitual (recurrent) miscarriage
What is a threatened miscarriage? A threatened miscarriage occurs when there is a bloody discharge from the vagina during the first half of pregnancy. Bleeding may last for days or weeks. There may be cramping and pain may feel like a menstrual cramp or mild backache. Bed rest is about all a woman can do to try to prevent the miscarriage from happening, although being active does not cause miscarriage. What is an inevitable miscarriage? An inevitable miscarriage occurs with the rupture of membranes, dilatation of the cervix and passage of blood clots and even tissue. Loss of the pregnancy is almost certain under these circumstances. Contraction of the uterus usually occurs, expelling the embryo or products of conception. What is an incomplete miscarriage? In an incomplete miscarriage, the entire pregnancy is not immediately expelled. Part of the pregnancy may be passed while the rest remains in the uterus. Bleeding may be heavy and continues until the uterus is empty or until a doctor empties it, usually with dilatation and curettage (D&C). What is a missed miscarriage? A missed miscarriage can occur when an embryo that has died earlier is retained in the uterus. A woman may not bleed or have any other symptoms. The time period between the failure of the pregnancy and the discovery of the miscarriage is usually weeks. What is a habitual miscarriage? A habitual miscarriage usually refers to three or more consecutive miscarriages. It may also be called recurrent miscarriage. What are the warning signs of a miscarriage? The first warning sign is bleeding from the vagina, followed by cramping. Call your doctor if you experience these problems! The longer you bleed and cramp, the more likely you are to have a miscarriage. What can I do if I think I'm having a miscarriage? Call your doctor. In nearly all instances, there is nothing you can do to stop a miscarriage from happening. There is no surgery that can be done or medicine you can take to stop a miscarriage. Most physicians recommend bed rest and decreased activity. Some recommend use of the hormone progesterone, but not all agree with its use. Ultrasound and blood tests may be used to help determine whether you are going to miscarry, but you may have to wait and see. What will my doctor do if I am having a miscarriage? If you expel all of the products of the pregnancy and bleeding stops and cramping goes away, you may be done with it. If everything is not expelled, it will be necessary to perform a D&C to empty the uterus. It is preferable to perform this surgical procedure so you won't bleed for a long time, risking anemia and infection. I've heard a woman needs to be concerned about Rh-sensitivity if she has a miscarriage. Is this true? If you're Rh-negative and have a miscarriage, you will need to receive RhoGAM. This applies only if you are Rh-negative. If I have a miscarriage, will there be an embryo or a fetus? What will it look like? You usually won't see a fetus. What you pass looks like white, gray or red tissue. If I miscarry, will it be possible to tell if it was a boy or girl? No, this is not possible. When my sister had a miscarriage, they told her to save the tissue, but she had already flushed it. Why did they want her to save it? Some doctors want you to bring the tissue to the lab to verify it was really the pregnancy that was passed and not just a blood clot. If I am having a miscarriage, will my pregnancy test be positive? Yes. Hormones will make your pregnancy test positive.
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