Miscarriage is, in most cases, a very private experience. It is rarely discussed, and many women who go through this loss feel alone and isolated. But the truth is that this kind of event is much more common than people imagine.
Knowing exactly how common this is and what the risk factors are can not only help you understand why it happens, but also help you feel less alone during such a difficult moment of sadness and frustration.
Are miscarriages common?
If we consider all types of miscarriages, they are a surprisingly common occurrence1. This data should not be interpreted as an alarm, but rather as a way to raise awareness of how often it happens.
Pregnancy length and miscarriage
About 70% of conceptions, in fact, result in losses. One study even points out that about 22% of fertilized eggs never even reach implantation. But many medical specialists only consider it a miscarriage if implantation occurs.
If we consider only numbers after implantation, around 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. But many times, these losses aren’t even noticed. A late period may actually be a miscarriage that goes completely unnoticed, especially during the first month of pregnancy.
The good news is that as gestational age progresses, the chances of miscarriage drop dramatically. After the 12th week, the risk falls to about 4%. Reaching the 20th week, the chance is about 0.6%.
Influence of the woman’s age
A woman’s age is a decisive factor in whether a pregnancy goes forward or not2. The main reason is that egg quality tends to decline with age. Genetically unviable embryos are the main cause of miscarriages in the first trimester.
- Under 35 years old: about a 15% chance of miscarriage.
- Between 35 and 45 years old: about a 20 to 35% chance of miscarriage.
- Over 45 years old: about a 50% chance of miscarriage.
These numbers consider only the woman’s age and do not include other personal factors.
Did you know that the man’s age also seems to affect the chances of pregnancy loss? Research indicates that a 35-year-old woman trying to get pregnant with a 40-year-old man has up to 3 times the chance of miscarriage compared to a woman trying to get pregnant with a 30-year-old man3.
Fetal heartbeat
The fetal heartbeat inside the uterus can be an indicator that a miscarriage may be about to happen. As the baby grows, the heartbeat becomes faster, stabilizing at around 120 or more by the seventh week.
Fetal heartbeats below 90 in the first 6 weeks and below 110 between the sixth and seventh week are a major sign that something is wrong with the baby.
Risk factors
There’s a difference between the causes of miscarriage and the risk factors. Often, it’s difficult to determine the exact cause, but analyzing the risk factors can give a clue as to what’s going on.
Some conditions can increase the chances of a pregnancy being interrupted early. When you combine the normal odds with these modifying conditions, the possibility of miscarriage can increase greatly. Being aware of these risk factors is important to know what can be done to increase your chances of carrying a pregnancy to term and to already be aware of your condition:
- Problems in previous pregnancies: If a woman has experienced problems in past pregnancies, especially previous miscarriages, the chances increase. If a woman has experienced several losses, this may indicate a congenital problem that should be investigated with medical help. After diagnosis, treatment may be necessary.
- Getting pregnant after a prolonged period of infertility: It is important to investigate the causes of infertility before continuing to try to conceive. It’s possible that a woman has had several miscarriages without even knowing she was pregnant, or that the problem causing infertility is still an influence. In this case, treatment may be recommended as well.
- Previous miscarriages: Related to the previous factor, multiple miscarriages can indicate that something is wrong. If it happens only once, there are no major consequences—an isolated case is relatively common. But after two or more previous miscarriages, the chances of another increase and the causes should be investigated.
Possible causes of miscarriage
Although it is not always possible to diagnose the exact cause of a miscarriage, several factors may contribute to its occurrence. In addition to poor habits, such as drinking alcohol or using drugs and intoxicants, a pregnancy can also be harmed by infections, autoimmune diseases, uterine or hormonal changes, changes in the endometrium, maternal underweight or obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, genetic defects in the embryo itself, or even by invasive prenatal tests performed in a harmful way.
Sometimes, though, the cause of the loss can remain unknown even to doctors.
Symptoms of miscarriage
Once a miscarriage starts, unfortunately, it becomes impossible to prevent it. Among the main and best-known symptoms of a pregnancy ending is vaginal bleeding. You may also experience severe abdominal pain, constant cramps, fever and chills, a drop in blood pressure, and heart palpitations.
However, miscarriage can sometimes happen silently, with no signs at all, especially before the 20th week. In such cases, the confirmation should be done by ultrasound and the diagnosis must be made by a doctor.
It is important to understand the real chances of miscarriage happening, so you don’t worry for no reason but also know when to act if something is wrong. The numbers and statistics should not frighten you. And to keep your hopes up, here is one last statistic: a study followed 1,000 women who had miscarriages. Among those who tried to get pregnant within 3 months, 70% managed to get pregnant. Don’t lose hope!
To learn how Patricia dealt with her own pregnancy loss, you can read this article.
