The Fundamental Causes of Miscarriage

Miscarriage can be defined as the involuntary abortion in the first 20 weeks of the pregnancy. In other words, miscarriage happens when the fetus growing in a woman's womb dies in the first five months of the pregnancy. It is one of the most common causes of losing your pregnancy. The research says that almost 10% to 25% of pregnancies get terminated because of miscarriage. Ordinarily, it occurs before the women start missing their menstruation cycle.
 
Miscarriage is one of the most common causes that makes it difficult for women to conceive. Hence, knowing the factors that cause miscarriage may help you reduce the risk associated with the same.
 
However, there are many causes of miscarriage, and it may differ from person to person. But, in this article, we have tried to cover it all, starting from the causes of miscarriage to ways of preventing it. Continue reading to understand the peculiarities associated with this phenomenon, and take your first step towards a successful pregnancy without any complications.
 
Types of miscarriage
Following are the types of miscarriage.

• Threatened Miscarriage

Threatened miscarriage is when a pregnant woman's body shows signs of miscarriage, such as vaginal bleeding or lower abdominal pain.

• Inevitable Miscarriage

Inevitable miscarriage causes a lot of vaginal bleeding and strong lower stomach cramps.

• Complete Miscarriage

During a complete miscarriage, the pregnancy tissue leaves your uterus empty.

• Incomplete Miscarriage

In extreme cases, pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus, continuing the vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramps. Such a condition is called an incomplete miscarriage.

• Missed Miscarriage

When the fetus is dead and remains in the uterus, it is called a missed miscarriage. Nausea and tiredness are some of their symptoms.

• Recurrent Miscarriage

Some women may find it difficult to conceive. Sometimes, even if they conceive, they may experience miscarriage issues. If a woman experiences such miscarriages continuously two to three times, it is called a recurrent miscarriage.
 
The main causes of miscarriage
One can have a miscarriage due to several reasons, and many of them may even be uncontrollable. But, still knowing the most common causes of the same will help you significantly reduce the risk. The following points will help you gain valuable insights into the factors causing miscarriage.

• Genetic problems

Many women face problems during their pregnancy because of genetic problems that are very much related to chromosomes, sperms, and egg cells. These abnormalities in the chromosomes cause a glitch in the foetus's genes. The studies show that most chromosomal abnormalities are found in women above 35 years. Molar and partial molar pregnancy are among the most common causes of chromosomal abnormality.

• Infections

Women suffering from different infections such as AIDS, chlamydia, malaria, German measles, gonorrhoea, syphilis, etc., are also at a greater risk of miscarriage.

• Weak Cervix

A weak or incompetent cervix may cause miscarriage during the second trimester of the pregnancy. In such a condition, the cervical muscles become very weak, resulting in the death of the foetus. If you have undergone any kind of surgery associated with the cervix, your cervix may weaken, resulting in the termination of pregnancy. The weakened cervix may open very early, causing the miscarriage in the second trimester of the pregnancy.

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a disease where the ovaries have multiple cysts. Hence, it makes the ovaries larger than the normal ovaries. This condition reduces infertility in women resulting in the production of eggs.

• Long-lasting Diseases

Long-lasting diseases such as thyroid, diabetes, hypertension, and autoimmune diseases like lupus may cause spontaneous miscarriage. Other than these, different chronic diseases are related to the kidney, liver, heart, etc. It can also lead to such a phenomenon.
 
Physical Complications
Various physical issues such as uterine problems and blood clotting disorders may increase the risk of physical complications. Such uterine defects can be determined through X-rays and treated beforehand.

• Imbalanced hormones

Progesterone is the hormone that helps the uterine to support the foetus. Sometimes, women's bodies fail to produce enough hormones such as progesterone. As a result, women can experience multiple miscarriages.

• Consumption of drugs or alcohol

Some unhealthy habits, such as smoking and consuming alcohol or drugs during the pregnancy, can cause early miscarriages. Hence, women with such habits find it difficult to conceive.
 
Risk factors
Knowing the factors that increase the risk of miscarriage may help you prevent the same. Here are some of the most common risk factors you need to consider.

• Maternal trauma (including accidents)
• Lyme or Fifth disease
• Listeria (a bacteria present in raw or uncooked food)
• High fever
• Pollution

 
All these factors may increase the risk of miscarriage. Hence, if you are pregnant, trying to prevent some of them may successfully help you prevent your miscarriage.
 
What Can Be Done to Prevent a Miscarriage?
In most extreme cases, it is impossible to prevent miscarriage. When the women have chromosomal abnormalities, miscarriage can be hardly prevented. Hence, it is advisable to optimise your health to the fullest before taking the chance for pregnancy most of the time.
 
Before trying to conceive, women should check for the associated chronic conditions. Women also need to ensure and review their diets and consume healthy food. Here are some of the tips to prevent miscarriage:

• Engage yourself in yoga, walking, stretching, breathing exercises, etc.
• Manage your stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Try to stay happy all the time.
• Try to control your weight.
• Keep your stomach safe.
• Do not smoke or go around the smoke.
• Try avoiding caffeine and alcohol.
• Consult your doctor before taking any medications.
• Try to avoid x-rays, radiations, etc.
• Do not engage yourself in any kind of sports activities.
• The most important part is not to forget to take the Covid-19 vaccination.

 
How Do You Recover from A Miscarriage?
Miscarriages sometimes may adversely affect women physically as well as emotionally. It may affect their sleep and appetite, causing fatigue and anxiety. Hence, it is sometimes difficult to treat women after miscarriage. The emotional upheavals, especially, can take a heavy toll on the woman's mental health.
 
However, open communication with friends and family may help in emotional and physical recovery. Therefore, it would be better if women try their best to prevent miscarriage, especially in the first five months of the pregnancy.
 
The Bottom Line

Miscarriage is a natural and involuntary death of the fetus occurred during the first 20 weeks of the pregnancy. It can be caused due to various factors, including genital problems, diseases, weak cervix, accidents, imbalanced hormones, physical complications, etc. In most cases, it may be difficult to prevent miscarriage.
 
However, knowing the causes will help you in preventing the same. Most of the time, having a miscarriage may be dangerous. Hence, it is important to visit a doctor if you see any signs of miscarriage during your pregnancy.