A miscarriage, also called a spontaneous abortion, is an unexpected termination of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks of the gestation period. A miscarriage will probably occur within the first trimester of pregnancy, and few might happen after 20 weeks.
Miscarriages are traumatic; they can leave deep sorrow, particularly if a woman and her partner have been trying hard to conceive. Many women tend to think something is wrong with them when they have a miscarriage. But that notion is not valid.
The fact that you miscarry doesn’t mean you did something wrong while carrying the baby. Most miscarriages are beyond your control and happen when the foetus stops developing.
Even though spontaneous abortion is common, women who experience it want to know why it took place and what they can do to prevent it from reoccurring.
As a person that just recently experienced spontaneous abortion, you need to take a step toward emotional healing by knowing what caused it, what increases the risk and what medical care you might need.
The exact reason why women miscarry cannot be determined, but there are some reasons why a miscarriage may happen. We’ve listed the common reasons that may make it happen.
Common reasons why women miscarriage
For many women, the sudden termination of a pregnancy gives rise to many thoughts and feelings. Thoughts like “why is this happening to me” may start running through their mind.
But the thing is, while pregnant, your body provides nutrients to the developing foetus to help with its normal growth.
One of the primary reasons why a miscarriage will occur during the first 20 weeks is the abnormal growth of the foetus. Some factors that can contribute to the condition include;
1. Genetic issues (e.g. chromosomal abnormalities)
About half of miscarriages are caused by chromosome issues. Chromosome errors occur arbitrarily during foetal cell division. These errors may also occur due to damaged egg or sperm cells.
Some cases of miscarriages due to chromosomal abnormalities are;
Blighted ovum: A condition where there’s no formation of an embryo. It is one of the reasons for early miscarriages.
Molar pregnancy, where the father provides both sets of chromosomes, but there’s no fetus growth. Instead, abnormal placenta development ensues.
The intrauterine demise of a foetus: It is a condition where there’s a formation of the embryo, but it stops growing before there’s a growth of any symptoms of miscarriage.
2. Long-term health conditions
Persistent health conditions like heart disease, thyroid disease, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, lupus, and antiphospholipid syndrome can cause spontaneous abortion (during the first trimester) in women. Infections (e.g. syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, German measles, HIV/AIDS, etc.) can cause miscarriage as well.
3. Hormonal imbalance
At times, the body of a woman does not produce sufficient progesterone hormone. This hormone is needed to help the uterine lining support the foetus and the placenta.
Since hormonal imbalance is uncommon, a medical test is not usually carried out until the woman has suffered multiple miscarriages.
Are you experiencing multiple miscarriages? Book an appointment to speak to a doctor. They can prescribe medication to improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy.
