We call miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion, a spontaneous termination of pregnancy that occurs before the 22nd week of amenorrhea, or five months of pregnancy completed. Beyond this term, which is that of the viability of the fetus, we will talk about premature delivery.
A new report published in The Lancet believes thatone in 10 women has had a miscarriage. And many of these women complain about the lack of empathy with which they are cared for after this miscarriage.
What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?
Regardless of the term at which the miscarriage occurs, symptoms are generally the same.
- Brown or bright red discharge which may be regular or continuous
- The loss of small blood clots
- Uterine, lower back, or period-like pain
- The disappearance of pregnancy symptoms: nausea, breast pain, etc.
Be careful, however, it is possible to have blood loss or to observe a disappearance of pregnancy symptoms without a miscarriage being in progress. Only an ultrasound and a blood test can confirm this.
Is a miscarriage painful?
The pain varies from woman to woman, and also depending on the stage at which the miscarriage takes place. Some women report period-like pain and others report more severe pain, such as contractions. The pain gradually decreases after the embryo is expelled, but it may require the prescription of analgesics.
Does a miscarriage require hospitalization?
Several scenarios are possible.
- Miscarriage is spontaneous and ultrasound confirms that everything has been expelled : no hospitalization is necessary.
- The miscarriage is incomplete : It is then necessary to prescribe a drug, generally Misoprostol or Cytotec, to cause the complete expulsion. An ultrasound check then makes sure that the uterus is empty. If not, aspiration surgery is performed in the hospital.
- It is a late miscarriage (in the second trimester) : During a late miscarriage, the blood loss is often more abundant. Hospitalization is then often necessary to prevent the risk of bleeding.
When does a miscarriage most often occur?
We know that miscarriages most often occur around from the 8th or 9th week of amenorrhea.
What are the causes of a miscarriage?
The majority of miscarriages are caused by a chromosomal abnormality. The fertilized egg is non-viable and the body eliminates it on its own. But many other factors can also lead to spontaneous abortion: an anomaly of the placenta, a malformation of the uterus, an open cervix, an infection such as toxoplasmosis and listeriosis, certain immune diseases, diabetes, hypertension, a hormonal abnormality. Note that alcohol, tobacco and drugs are risk factors for miscarriage.
Can you miscarry without knowing it?
It is quite possible for a pregnancy to end spontaneously without the pregnant woman showing any symptoms. Many miscarriages are incidentally discovered during the first trimester ultrasound.
What is a late miscarriage?
We talk about late miscarriage when it occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy. These spontaneous abortions are much rarer but require special care. While we are not necessarily going to look for the cause of an early miscarriage, especially if it is the first, a miscarriage that occurs when the first trimester ultrasound was perfectly normal will lead to investigations to try identify the cause.
How many miscarriages should you worry about?
It is rare that investigations are carried out before three successive miscarriages. When the phenomenon is repeated without any pregnancy being carried to term, the doctors will carry out various examinations to identify a cause: blood tests, ultrasound, hysterosalpingography but also karyotype of both parents in order to identify a possible genetic problem. In very many cases, no specific cause is identified.
Does Miscarriage Affect Fertility?
Having an isolated miscarriage does not affect future fertility. The vast majority of women who have suffered from multiple miscarriages end up carrying a pregnancy to term and having a healthy baby.
Also read:
- Contractions: how to tell them apart? When to worry
- Gestational diabetes: what you need to know
- Pregnancy: how do you know if the cervix is open?
