Miscarriages are most common during early pregnancy, usually before the first 20 weeks. A miscarriage is the natural termination of a pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside the uterus.

Miscarriage is always an emotionally charged and challenging experience. These are the most common causes of miscarriage.

The causes of miscarriage

Sometimes, the exact cause of a miscarriage is not clear, and doctors need to conduct further examinations to determine it. However, most miscarriage cases have the following common causes:

Chromosomal abnormalities

Chromosomal abnormalities are a common cause of miscarriage. These abnormalities are not the fault of either parent. They occur due to errors in the structure or number of chromosomes in the body’s cells.

Several chromosomal abnormalities can lead to miscarriage, including:

• Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21): An abnormality where there are three copies of chromosome 21
• Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18) and Patau syndrome (Trisomy 13)  are conditions where there are three copies of chromosome 18 and chromosome 13, affecting fetal development
• Turner syndrome (Monosomy X): An abnormality where there is only one copy of the X chromosome, leads to health issues, growth and sexual development disorders

Thyroid disorders

The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that produces hormones essential for your health. Sometimes, the thyroid produces too much or too little hormone, which can affect pregnancy and increase the risk of miscarriage.

Low thyroid hormone levels can reduce egg quality and fertility. If a woman manages to conceive, the risk of miscarriage increases.

High thyroid hormone levels can disrupt the balance of sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, causing abnormal uterine bleeding and menstrual cycle irregularities. This hormonal imbalance makes the uterus unsuitable for embryo implantation, increasing the likelihood of miscarriage.

Diabetes

Diabetes does not directly cause miscarriage. However, when pregnant women have a history of uncontrolled type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes, their chances of miscarriage increase.

High blood sugar levels during pregnancy not only raise the risk of miscarriage but also of fetal birth defects, premature birth, macrosomia (the birth of a baby weighing more than 4 kilograms), and other fetal complications.

Uterine problem

Problems with the uterus and reproductive organs can also increase the risk of miscarriage. For example:

• Uterine fibroids, which are benign tumors that grow around the uterus, can affect blood flow to the uterus, disrupting the implantation process
• The uterine septum divides the uterus into two chambers. This is a rare abnormality that inhibits fetal growth and can lead to miscarriage
• Scar tissue in the uterus can prevent embryo implantation and blood flow to the placenta

Blood clotting disorders

While blood clotting disorders do not always result in miscarriage, they can interfere with blood flow to the placenta, affecting fetal development and potentially triggering miscarriage.

Hormonal imbalance

Hormonal imbalances, such as low progesterone levels, can impair the body's ability to maintain a pregnancy successfully. Progesterone is essential for uterine lining maintenance as well as placental and fetal development. Insufficient progesterone levels can cause an unstable uterine lining, resulting in miscarriage.

Smoking and alcohol consumption habits

Smoking and consuming alcohol during pregnancy can have serious consequences, including an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and fetal development problems. Because of the serious risks, it is critical for you to quit. If you find it difficult to quit these habits while pregnant or planning a pregnancy, consult a doctor.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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