Everything you need to know about miscarriages: Symptoms, risks, treatments & more
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. And while the loss of a child is a painful tragedy, it's more common than you might think.
About 15-25 per cent of Canadian pregnancies end in loss, with most occurring in the early weeks of pregnancy.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about miscarriages, their risks and treatment options.
What is a miscarriage?
A miscarriage is a pregnancy loss before 20 weeks gestation.
An early miscarriage occurs in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Many early miscarriages occur before a woman even realizes she's pregnant.
A very early miscarriage can be mistaken for a heavy period, and a miscarriage is often the body's way of ending a pregnancy that isn't healthy.
While early miscarriages are fairly common, miscarriages beyond 12 weeks are rarer. Only about two per cent of pregnancies end in miscarriage after 12 weeks.
What is a stillbirth?
A stillbirth is a pregnancy loss that occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
An early stillbirth occurs between 20 and 27 weeks of pregnancy while late stillbirth occurs between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. A term stillbirth occurs after 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Tragically, there are more than 3,000 stillbirths in Canada every year.
What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?
Vaginal bleeding is one of the main symptoms of a miscarriage.
However, spotting or vaginal bleeding doesn't always indicate a miscarriage. Up to 25 per cent of women experience light vaginal bleeding early in pregnancy, and half of these women go on to have a normal pregnancy.
Other symptoms of a miscarriage can include passing tissue through the vagina and pain in the lower back, pelvis or belly.
What causes a miscarriage?
Miscarriages are caused by many different factors, but most of them aren’t things you can control.
Early miscarriages usually occur because of abnormalities in chromosomes, which can prevent a baby from developing normally.
Babies usually inherit 23 chromosomes from their mother and 23 from their father. If they have too many, too few, or abnormal changes to the structure of a chromosome, a pregnancy may end early.
Late miscarriages can be caused by underlying health problems with the mother or because the baby isn't developing well.
Miscarriages are not caused by stress, exercise or sex. Most of the time, doctors aren't sure what causes a miscarriage.
What are the risks of a miscarriage?
There are many factors that can increase your risk of having a miscarriage, including:
Being over the age of 35
If you've already had three or more miscarriages
A uterus with structural problems
Some infections during pregnancy
Blood clotting conditions
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which can also cause problems with ovulation, obesity, and increase your risk of diabetes
Certain medications or chemicals
Substance use, including alcohol and cigarettes during pregnancy
If the father's age is over 35
Heavy caffeine use
How are miscarriages treated?
If you have an ultrasound that shows you're having a miscarriage, there are three ways you may be treated.
All of the below options are considered safe and won't affect your future ability to get pregnant:
Expectant management
About 50 per cent of the time, a miscarriage will complete on its own within two weeks. However, sometimes it may take up to six or eight weeks for a miscarriage to occur after you've been diagnosed.
Medical management
With medical management, you have more control over where and when the miscarriage will occur. Medical management uses a combination of two drugs, mifepristone, and misoprostol to complete the miscarriage.
Surgical management
You may need surgical management depending on the length of your pregnancy and your health history.
A dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure where your cervix is gently opened and the pregnancy is removed with suction.
The entire procedure lasts for 10 to 15 minutes and can be done as an outpatient procedure. It's 99 per cent effective in completing the miscarriage.
Can you prevent a miscarriage?
There is nothing you can do to prevent a miscarriage. It's not caused by routine activities or anything you've done.
There are also no activities or treatments that will prevent a miscarriage. Bed rest hasn't been shown to help reduce the chances of having a miscarriage.
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