A miscarriage is the loss of a fetus, typically within the first trimester of a pregnancy. The statistics for miscarriages can turn what should be an exciting and joyous time for a woman into a time of worry and stress.
These statistics show that up to 20 percent of confirmed pregnant women will end up miscarrying, with over 80 percent of these miscarriages happening within the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy.
As with many other aspects of pregnancy, the cause of a miscarriage will vary from woman to woman. Understanding what can cause a miscarriage can help in easing your mind and will give you the opportunity to do what you can to lower your chances of miscarrying. Keep reading below to learn more about the 5 most common causes of a miscarriage.
Chromosomal Abnormalities
One of both of the respective parents may contain chromosomal abnormalities that, while unnoticed and without affect to them, may cause problems during a pregnancy. When the sperm and egg meet, one or both of them may contain these chromosomal abnormalities, which make it impossible for their chromosomes to line up properly. This typically results in a miscarriage.
This is said to be the cause of up to 60% of all miscarriages.
Uterine Abnormalities
A uterus that is misshapen or divided (known as “uterus septum”) can cause problems for the embryo trying to implant into the uterine wall, or can prevent the implanted embryo from receiving the nutrients it needs.
Uterine abnormalities are responsible for approximately 10% of miscarriages.
Immunologic Disorders
Typically, a fertilized egg will send signals to a woman’s brain, informing the brain that this foreign object (the sperm) is safe, and should not be treated as an invasive germ. However, sometimes this message is not sent or received properly, and the embryo is not accepted by the woman’s body.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PCOS is characterized by women containing excessive amounts of the male hormone testosterone. This excess of testosterone can prevent the endometrial lining in the uterus from forming properly. Without this lining an embryo cannot implant properly and will not survive.
Lifestyle
This refers to lifestyle habits such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, partaking in recreational drug use, etc. These habits are not only common causes of miscarriages, but can also have severe health impacts on the child, should the pregnancy survive the early stages and your child be born.
It is highly recommended that women do not smoke, drink, or do drugs while pregnant, and that they do not partake in these activities if they are actively trying to get pregnant.
Conclusion
In most cases, with drinking and smoking being the exception, a miscarriage is rarely the fault of the mother. There are many genetic and biological reasons why a pregnancy fails, as you can see with these 5 most common causes of a miscarriage.
However, these statistics should not be anything to stress over, as majority of women who experience a miscarriage will have no problem conceiving again, resulting in a healthy pregnancy.