Most miscarriages can't be explained. There are a number of factors that are linked to miscarriage, such as alcohol or cigarettes, but in most cases your miscarriage will not be related to anything you have done.
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What is a miscarriage?
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When an egg and sperm join, they rapidly develop new cells. These cells are the very early stages of a pregnancy. In a successful pregnancy the cells continue to grow and develop to form a baby. A miscarriage occurs when the cells stop developing and the pregnancy comes to an end. At this early stage, the tissue from the pregnancy is passed out of your body and you will experience bleeding and some pain.
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Is early miscarriage common?
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Miscarriage in the first few weeks of pregnancy is very common. Studies show that up to one in four women, who know they are pregnant, will have a miscarriage before 20 weeks of pregnancy. The vast majority of these occur in the first 12 weeks. The actual rate of miscarriage is even higher, because many women have very early miscarriages without ever realising that they are pregnant.
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What causes early miscarriage?
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Many different things can lead to miscarriage and it is difficult to say why a particular miscarriage has happened. The main causes for early miscarriage are thought to be:
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Research has linked a number of factors to miscarriage; however, unless it is very obvious, no one can tell you if any of these factors contributed to your miscarriage. We have included this list because we know that many women will look for it anyway and we want you to have the very best information that is available. There will also be women who will want this information for future pregnancies.
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The factors that are thought to be linked to miscarriage are:
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- genetic – half of all miscarriages occur because of abnormalities in the cells or the way the cells develop. Sometimes, by chance, the egg or the sperm may be abnormal and the resulting pregnancy doesn’t develop properly right from the start. A miscarriage is regarded as nature’s way of dealing with an abnormal pregnancy. In this situation, nothing you have done or didn’t do could have prevented the miscarriage from occurring
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- hormonal imbalance – getting pregnant and staying pregnant is dependent on the correct balance of hormones in your body. Sometimes if the hormones are out of balance, this can lead to a miscarriage. This is likely to be a one-off event that won’t recur
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- mother’s health – minor infections, such as colds, are not harmful. However, high fever may lead to miscarriage. It is therefore wise to avoid contact with someone who is known to have an infectious illness. Some medical conditions in the mother can also lead to miscarriage (such as uncontrolled diabetes, fibroids or thyroid problems)
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- age – older women are more likely to have a miscarriage than younger women
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- smoking – smoking is linked to an increased risk of miscarriage
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- alcohol – women who drink more than three alcoholic drinks per week in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are more likely to have a miscarriage. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe during pregnancy.
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- caffeine – studies have suggested that women who drink three to five (depending on the strength of the coffee) cups of coffee a day have an increased risk of miscarriage.
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- investigations during pregnancy – some specific investigations performed during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage. This includes chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis.
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- abnormal blood clotting – some women have substances in their blood, which cause problems in the flow of blood to the pregnancy or increase the tendency for blood clotting. These problems can cause miscarriage. The conditions are not very common but might be suspected in women who have three or more miscarriages in a row.
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The Early Pregnancy Assessment Service at the Women’s
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If you are 16 weeks pregnant or less and you are experiencing pain or bleeding you can go straight to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) at the Women’s. EPAS is on the ground floor of the hospital near the Women’s Health Information Centre. You do not need an appointment or referral but please try to get there at 8.30 to 11.00 am (Monday to Friday).
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Some of this information will only be relevant to families in Victoria, Australia, with particular relevance to women who use the services at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.
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See also the fact sheets:
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Miscarriage in the first 16 weeks - tests and treatment
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Early miscarriage - Afterwards and into the future
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Disclaimer
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The Royal Women’s Hospital does not accept any liability to any person for the information or advice (or use of such information or advice) which is provided in this fact sheet or incorporated into it by reference.
We provide this information on the understanding that all persons accessing it take responsibility for assessing its relevance and accuracy.
Some of this information will only be relevant to families in Victoria, Australia, with particular relevance to women who use the services at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Women are encouraged to discuss their health needs with a health practitioner.
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Published Dec 2007
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