Spontaneous Abortion

Spontaneous abortion is commonly known as miscarriage which is when a pregnancy ends before the fetus can survive. Miscarriage occurs in around 15-20% of all pregnancies and usually happens before the 13th week of the pregnancy.

What are the causes of miscarriage?

The most common causes of miscarriage in the first trimester (the first three months) of the pregnancy is chromosomal abnormalities, diabetes, hormonal problems, and abnormalities of the uterus. Surgical procedures of the uterus may also increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking a large amount of cigarettes is also associated with miscarriage, as well as alcohol, drugs and caffeine.

Exercise during pregnancy, working and sexual intercourse do not cause miscarriages. However, doctors may advise women to rest if they are at risk of miscarriage, especially if they have a past history of problems in pregnancy.

Symptoms of Miscarriage

The most common symptoms noted by women during miscarriage are vaginal bleeding and cramps. These can be mild to severe, and differ in different circumstances. Miscarriage does not always follow vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy, so when this occurs doctors often refer to the pregnancy with the term ‘threatened abortion’.

Treatment

After a suspected miscarriage doctors will examine the woman to check the status of the pregnancy. The doctor will try to determine whether the woman has passed all of the tissue from the fetus and placenta. If not, she will usually need suction dilation and curettage of the uterus to remove the products of the pregnancy.

The chance of having a normal pregnancy following two miscarriages is 80-90%, but for those women with recurrent pregnancy loss the doctor will provide a full evaluation to determine the causes.