Causes of Miscarriage

Every pregnant woman is worried about if their pregnancy is safe and if they are at risk of getting a miscarriage. Between 50 to 60% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, with most happening very early, even before a woman realizes she is pregnant. OC Fertility offers evaluation to identify women who are at risk of having a miscarriage in Newport Beach.

What is early miscarriage?

A miscarriage that happens at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy is an early miscarriage. Most of the time, your doctor will start seeing the fetus on ultrasound when you are seven to eight weeks. Most early miscarriages happen before that time. Heart motion on fetal ultrasound can help determine if your baby is alright in the case you experience vaginal bleeding.

There is a higher chance that you will have a miscarriage if your ultrasound reveals that you have a slower fetal heart rate. Slow heart rate and vaginal bleeding are seen in 85% of early miscarriages. If the measured heart rate is less than 110 beats per minute, then that is of concern. It is important to frequently go in for prenatal checkups so your doctor can keep track of your pregnancy and see any changes in the fetal heart rate.

Causes of early miscarriage

Several things can cause an early miscarriage:

Some women with miscarriages can attribute the situation to their embryos having an incorrect number of chromosomes. Mostly, this happens to older women. An embryo should have 46 chromosomes, half from each parent.

Other things that can lead to a miscarriage are smoking, drinking a lot of caffeine, supplements that are not prenatal vitamins, and drinking alcohol.

Things like stress, having sex when pregnant, and taking family planning before getting pregnant do not cause miscarriages.

Signs of early miscarriage

Vaginal bleeding and cramping are the surest signs of a miscarriage. There should not be any bleeding during any pregnancy unless it is the due date, and the woman will get a bloody show which is usually light bleeding. If you notice that you are bleeding, contact your doctor immediately to receive emergency care. An ultrasound could also reveal that you have a ectopic pregnancy which is very dangerous and can lead to a miscarriage.

Can an early miscarriage be prevented?

The answer varies depending on whether you are pregnant or not. If you are not pregnant but have had miscarriages in the past, you can avoid bad habits like smoking and drinking caffeine. If you are older, visit your doctor to check if your embryos have abnormal chromosomes.

If you are already pregnant, the best way to avoid a miscarriage is to remain physically active and healthy throughout your pregnancy. Staying in bed all day and avoiding stressful situations will not necessarily help, even though they will make you feel better.

If you have a question concerning your pregnancy, contact OC Fertility to get evaluated to know if you are at risk of a miscarriage.