Miscarriage
Definition
The term miscarriage refers to when a pregnant mother's foetus unexpectedly dies due to the pregnancy coming to a sudden end. Miscarriage is also known as a spontaneous abortion. Miscarriage is a risk between the twentieth and twenty-second weeks of pregnancy. It is fairly common, occurring in up to 20% of pregnancies. Abortion is a medical term that refers to miscarriage.
Risk factors
Miscarriage can result from a number of different factors. These include:
- Abnormalities in the father's sperm or the mother's ovum (egg)
- A disease in the mother, like high blood pressure or an infection
- Poor nutrition on the mother's part
- Use of cigarettes, alcohol or drugs
Miscarriage also has a number of myths associated with it. These include claims that exercise, energetic jumping or regular vaginal intercourse all result in miscarriages.
Types of miscarriage
Miscarriage is subdivided into the following:
Inevitable miscarriage
This type of miscarriage involves extreme vaginal bleeding and/or cramps. Other symptoms include ruptured amniotic membranes and a dilated cervix. At this stage, the membrane, foetus and placenta are then expelled. The mother's clinician should be contacted as soon as possible. Hospitalisation may be required in sever cases.
Threatened miscarriage
Initial symptoms of this type of miscarriage include cramps and slight bleeding. If the bleeding persists, it is advisable for the mother to seek other potential causes besides miscarriage. An ultrasound is used to determine whether the foetus is still alive. There is a higher likelihood of threatened miscarriage if the mother experiences both cramps and bleeding.
Incomplete miscarriage
Incomplete miscarriage refers to when some but not all of the products of conception are unexpectedly expelled before the twentieth week of pregnancy. In most cases the placenta is not expelled. An ultrasound is used to determine what material is still in the womb.
Complete miscarriage
Complete miscarriage is what results when everything in the womb is expelled. This includes the foetus, the membranes and placenta. Heavy bleeding and abdominal cramps occur during a complete miscarriage, however the bleeding stops when all the tissue has been expelled. If an ultrasound is performed, images will reveal an empty womb.
Diagnosis/Signs of miscarriage
Miscarriage is diagnosed on the basis that the bleeding the mother experiences is more extreme than the usual bloody discharge that typically occurs. In this case, a doctor would perform an evaluation of the womb while also checking to see if the cervix is dilated. An ultrasound is also performed to determine whether a foetus is still alive and if the pregnancy is still viable.
Treatment
The main goal of treatment after miscarriage is to determine what caused the pregnancy to fail. If the mother had a complete miscarriage, hospitalisation would be required as well as examination from medical staff. In the case of an incomplete miscarriage, the mother would be placed under local anaesthetic and have a suction dilation and cutterage performed, where the rest of the contents of the womb are removed. Antibiotics may also be prescribed.
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Last Updated: 22 February 2011
