ACOG Education Pamphlet AP100 -- Repeated Miscarriage

Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks. It occurs in 10–15% of all known pregnancies. Most miscarriages occur in the first 3 months of pregnancy. When pregnancy loss occurs two or more times in a row, it may be called repeated miscarriage. Special tests are needed to try to find the cause. This pamphlet will explain:

* What causes repeated miscarriage
* What tests and procedures might be needed
* What special care you may need during pregnancy

Causes

There are many reasons for repeated miscarriage. In at least one half of all repeated miscarriages the cause cannot be found. Sometimes your doctor can identify a certain cause. In other cases, the cause is suspected but the link is not clear. If you have had more than one miscarriage, each may have a different cause.

Sometimes a miscarriage can be linked to chromosomal problems in the fetus, medical conditions in the woman, or problems with the woman's uterus. There are tests to help your doctor determine what caused the miscarriage and in some cases treatment is available to avoid problems in future pregnancies.

Chromosomal Problems. More than one half of miscarriages in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy are caused by problems with the chromosomes of the fetus. Chromosomes are tiny structures in the cells of the body. Each carries many genes. Genes determine all of a person's physical traits, such as sex, hair and eye color, and blood type.

There can be problems with the number or structure of chromosomes, or with the genes they carry. Extra or missing chromosomes or genes mean the fetus will not grow as it should. Often miscarriage is nature's way of ending a pregnancy in which the fetus would not have been able to live.

Many such problems occur by chance and have nothing to do with the health of the mother or father. However, in a small number of cases, problems with the parents' chromosomes can cause repeated miscarriage. There are tests to find out if such problems are a factor in repeated miscarriage.

full-text:
ACOG Education Pamphlet AP100 -- Repeated Miscarriage