Miscarriage definition:
-Miscarriage is a term used for a pregnancy that ends on its own, within the first 20 weeks of gestation.
- Studies reveal that anywhere from 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage.
- Most miscarriages occur during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.
Causes of miscarriage:
-although most of miscarriage cases cannot be identified, but the most common cause of miscarriage in the first trimester is chromosomal abnormality ( meaning that something is not correct with the baby’s chromosomes, caused by damaged egg or sperm cell due to a problem at the fertilization time).
Other causes:
- Hormonal problems
- Infections
- Maternal health problems
- Lifestyle :( smoking, drug use, malnutrition, excessive caffeine and exposure to radiation or toxic substances)
-Problem in the implantation of the egg in the uterine lining
- Maternal age
- Maternal trauma
-previous history of miscarriage
** There is no evidence yet about the role of sexual intercourse and moderate exercises in miscarriage.
Miscarriage Signs:
If the pregnant female has any or all of these symptoms, it is important to contact her doctor to evaluate if she has a miscarriage or not:
- Mild to severe back pain (often worse than normal menstrual cramps)
- Weight loss
- White-pink mucus
-True contractions (very painful happening every 5-20 minutes)
-Brown or bright red bleeding with or without cramps -Tissue with clot like material passing from the vagina -Sudden decrease in signs of pregnancy
Miscarriage Types:
1- Threatened Miscarriage: uterine bleeding accompanied by cramping or lower backache, The cervix remains closed
2- Incomplete Miscarriage: Abdominal or back pain accompanied by bleeding with an open cervix.
3- Complete Miscarriage: A completed miscarriage is when the embryo or part of it has emptied out of the uterus. Bleeding should subside quickly, as should any pain or cramping.
4- Missed Miscarriage: Signs of this would be a loss of pregnancy symptoms and the absence of fetal heart tones found on an ultrasound.
5- Recurrent Miscarriage (RM): Defined as 3 or more consecutive first trimester miscarriages.
6- Blighted Ovum: when a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, but fetal development never begins. Often there is a gestational sac with or without a yolk sac, but there is an absence of fetal growth.
7- Ectopic Pregnancy: A fertilized egg implants itself in places other than the uterus, most commonly the fallopian tube.
8- Molar Pregnancy: The result of a genetic error during the fertilization process that leads to the growth of abnormal tissue within the uterus. Molar pregnancies rarely involve a developing embryo, but often it has the most common symptoms of pregnancy including a missed period, positive pregnancy test and severe nausea.
Miscarriage Prevention:
Advice females who wish to become pregnant or have a history of miscarriage to:
· Exercise regularly
· Eat healthy
· Manage stress
· Keep weight within healthy limits
· Take folic acid daily
· Avoid smoking