About 1 in 6 pregnancies miscarry, making this a common though distressing occurrence. A miscarriage is broadly defined as pregnancy loss before 20 weeks.
Some women will experience more than one consecutive miscarriage. When a woman experiences three or more consecutive early pregnancy losses, it is called recurrent miscarriage. About 1 in 200 women experience this.
Women undergoing fertility treatment are no more likely to have a miscarriage than those who conceive naturally.
Causes of miscarriage
Some of the causes of miscarriage include:
- Random chromosome abnormalities
- Genetic abnormalities
- Parental chromosome abnormalities
- Uterine abnormalities
- Immune causes
- Blood clotting disorders
- Other medical conditions
- Hormone imbalances
- Age
The chance of having a miscarriage is also related to the woman’s age. After the age of 43, more than 50% of pregnancies are expected to miscarry spontaneously.
Early Pregnancy Care at Melbourne IVF
Melbourne IVF has a dedicated Early Pregnancy Care Nurse responsible for managing the care of patients in the early stages of pregnancy, including women who have experienced a pregnancy loss, or who are at risk of experiencing a pregnancy loss. This involves repeating blood tests where necessary, monitoring the hormone levels, liaising with the patient’s fertility specialist and providing information, advice and further instructions. The Early Pregnancy Care Nurse will also liaise with patients around the time of their pregnancy scans or the time of a pregnancy loss.