Some women may be born with an irregularly shaped uterus, and some women may develop abnormalities with their uterus over time. A woman's immune system may also play a role in recurrent pregnancy loss. Hormone abnormalities may also impact pregnancy loss, including thyroid disease and diabetes.
Recurrent pregnancy loss can have a variety of causes including: Abnormalities in the uterus, such as a uterine septum, fibroids or retained pregnancy tissue. Cervical insufficiency, which causes losses late in pregnancy. Thyroid conditions, diabetes or high levels of the hormone prolactin.
Recurrent early miscarriages (within the first trimester) are most commonly due to genetic or chromosomal problems of the embryo, with 50-80% of spontaneous losses having abnormal chromosomal number. Structural problems of the uterus can also play a role in early miscarriage.
The good news is that 90% of women who have miscarried go on to have a healthy baby. Even 50% of patients who have had three consecutive pregnancy losses go on to have a healthy pregnancy!
Sperm DNA can be damaged during sperm production and transport. This damage is known as DNA fragmentation. High levels of sperm DNA fragmentation have been shown to double the likelihood of a miscarriage occurring (Source – Men and Miscarriage Research).
"Super-fertility" may explain why some women have multiple miscarriages, according to a team of doctors. They say the wombs of some women are too good at letting embryos implant, even those of poor quality which should be rejected.
Karyotyping. If you've had a third miscarriage, it's recommended that the foetus is tested for abnormalities in the chromosomes (blocks of DNA). If a genetic abnormality is found, you and your partner can also be tested for abnormalities with your chromosomes that could be causing the problem.
Even after having three miscarriages, a woman has a 60 to 80 percent chance of conceiving and carrying a full-term pregnancy. Often women decide to continue trying to get pregnant naturally, but in certain situations a doctor may suggest treatments to help reduce the risk of another miscarriage.
The predicted risk of miscarriage in a future pregnancy remains about 20 percent after one miscarriage. After two consecutive miscarriages the risk of another miscarriage increases to about 28 percent, and after three or more consecutive miscarriages the risk of another miscarriage is about 43 percent.
If you have had 3 or more miscarriages in row, you should be referred to a specialist unit dedicated to managing recurrent miscarriage. You can have tests and investigations to find a possible reason. “The two most important things are to not blame yourselves and not to give up hope.
It is a common misconception that women who have miscarriages are just fine because they “can get pregnant.” In fact, having multiple miscarriages is a very specific type of fertility problem that affects 1-3% of all couples.
Hormonal imbalances of prolactin, thyroid hormone or progesterone can result in miscarriage. Illnesses such as diabetes mellitus or immune system abnormalities may increase the chance of miscarriage.
If a poor-quality egg is fertilized, either the embryo is unable to implant, or the embryo initially implants, but is unable to develop properly, resulting in a subsequent miscarriage. Though older women are more likely to have poor quality eggs, younger women, too, can have poor quality eggs.
It has been suggested that some women who miscarry may not make enough progesterone in the early part of pregnancy. Supplementing these women with medications that act like progesterone (these are called progestogens) has been suggested as a possible way to prevent recurrent miscarriage.
Miscarriage is a common complication of pregnancy that affects one in five pregnancies. Several small studies have suggested that progesterone, a hormone essential for maintaining a pregnancy, may reduce the risk of miscarriage in women presenting with early pregnancy bleeding.
This study found that progesterone did reduce the number of miscarriages, but only in those who had experienced a previous miscarriage. The effect was greatest in women with a history of three or more miscarriages.
Other causes of early miscarriages at 6 weeks to 8 weeks
An unbalanced translocation then can become cause for even repeated miscarriages. Miscarriages can also be caused by anatomical abnormalities of the uterus, such as uterine septa or fibroid tumors (myomas) or even small endometrial polyps.
Try to remember that most people will only have one miscarriage. About 1 in 100 women experience recurrent miscarriages (3 or more in a row). But even if you have had several miscarriages, it's important to know that many people still go on to have a successful pregnancy.
A hysterosalpingogram, or HSG, is a test fertility doctors use to evaluate the uterus and female reproductive system when looking for potential issues causing recurrent miscarriage.
Unless your doctor advises you to wait, you can try for another baby as soon as you are ready. If you've had an illness, infection or are trying to manage the symptoms of a long-term medical condition, you may be advised to wait for a while. You may also have to take medications that aren't suitable in pregnancy.
In-Vitro Fertilization is an excellent approach to pregnancy for women who have experienced recurrent miscarriages. The process provides specific steps you can take to increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy, minimizing the risk of a miscarriage.
A woman who's had two or more miscarriages needs testing to look for a cause, by a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility or REI specialist if you're trying again, or an OB doctor if you're already pregnant.
Miscarriage is Common but Recurrent Miscarriage is Not
Just 2 percent of pregnant women experience two pregnancy losses in a row, and only about 1 percent have three consecutive pregnancy losses.
Folic Acid
In high quantities, homocysteine causes damage to the lining of the blood vessels. Interestingly, high levels of homocysteine have also been found in women who experience recurrent miscarriages. It is, therefore, important that both folic acid and vitamin B12 form a part of your supplement plan.