New Recommendations to Prevent Miscarriage
A miscarriage is a loss of pregnancy within the first 20 weeks and occurs in about 10-25% of pregnancies in America. Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester (1-13 weeks), and are accompanied by signs including back pain, vaginal bleeding, and abnormal material leaking from the vagina. Miscarriages can have significant impacts on a woman’s mental health, leading to depression and anxiety. The most common causes of miscarriage are chromosomal abnormalities; however, there are other possible causes that have not yet been identified. Currently, there are no prevention methods that address miscarriages directly, but by analyzing a woman’s medical history, physicians are better able to identify and explain risk factors and potential causes to women trying to conceive.
Globally, there are varying definitions of miscarriages. In America, the difference between miscarriage and stillbirth is marked by gestational age, or weeks in pregnancy. A miscarriage occurs within the first 20 weeks, and a stillbirth is said to occur after 20 weeks. In other countries, miscarriages are identified by a different week in pregnancy or by weight of fetal tissue lost.
In research conducted in Norway, miscarriage risk was determined by maternal age and pregnancy history. Since US miscarriages are hard to track due to lacking registries, Norway was selected because of its free healthcare and national registries that monitor for abortions and miscarriages. That said, the inclusion of abortion data may lead to an inflation in miscarriage rates if not accounted for.
Globally, there are varying definitions of miscarriages. In America, the difference between miscarriage and stillbirth is marked by gestational age, or weeks in pregnancy. A miscarriage occurs within the first 20 weeks, and a stillbirth is said to occur after 20 weeks. In other countries, miscarriages are identified by a different week in pregnancy or by weight of fetal tissue lost.
In research conducted in Norway, miscarriage risk was determined by maternal age and pregnancy history. Since US miscarriages are hard to track due to lacking registries, Norway was selected because of its free healthcare and national registries that monitor for abortions and miscarriages. That said, the inclusion of abortion data may lead to an inflation in miscarriage rates if not accounted for.
A miscarriage can take a huge toll on a woman’s mental health. Enhanced monitoring is crucial to better understanding risk factors.
Image Source: Juan Pablo Arenas
Among risk factors such as environment and genetic predisposition, age has been identified as the greatest influencer. The lowest risk for miscarriage was found in women aged 27; a 9.5% chance risk. At the other end, the highest miscarriage risk was found among women aged 45 and older; a 53.6% risk. Interestingly, risk for miscarriage was 15.8% among women aged 20 or younger. The study also found that risk increases with consecutive miscarriages. After one miscarriage, risk was 1.54 fold; after three, it was 3.97 fold.
The study also focused on identifying if pregnancy history and complications had any associations with miscarriage risk. Women with previous pregnancies that had a stillbirth—due to early delivery, C-section, low weight at birth, or diabetes—were identified as more likely to have the next pregnancy end in a miscarriage. Since prior pregnancy complications increase risk for miscarriage in future pregnancies, the importance of identifying these relationships cannot be understated.
The current lack of information in US registries hamper the study of underlying factors. In order to further investigate these potential causes, more information about affected women, such as paternal age and ethnic background, is required. As a result, it is in our best interest to collect information from both doctor’s visits and miscarriages that occur before 12 weeks into an accessible United States medical registry. Overall, this study demonstrates the lack of information about a surprisingly common pregnancy outcome that must be addressed.
The study also focused on identifying if pregnancy history and complications had any associations with miscarriage risk. Women with previous pregnancies that had a stillbirth—due to early delivery, C-section, low weight at birth, or diabetes—were identified as more likely to have the next pregnancy end in a miscarriage. Since prior pregnancy complications increase risk for miscarriage in future pregnancies, the importance of identifying these relationships cannot be understated.
The current lack of information in US registries hamper the study of underlying factors. In order to further investigate these potential causes, more information about affected women, such as paternal age and ethnic background, is required. As a result, it is in our best interest to collect information from both doctor’s visits and miscarriages that occur before 12 weeks into an accessible United States medical registry. Overall, this study demonstrates the lack of information about a surprisingly common pregnancy outcome that must be addressed.
Featured Image Source: Pexels
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