Miscarriage is a condition in which pregnancy gets terminated spontaneously before the 20th week. Several reasons exist for this to happen. However, it is an emotionally traumatic episode for a couple.
Losing a baby even before it is born is a tough thing to handle. Although in many cases, the baby is not formed completely, yet, for a couple, it is almost impossible to understand the technical aspect. Pregnancy is more of an emotional thing for couples.
Common causes and dangerous risk factors of miscarriage
Genes play a big role. About 50% of miscarriages are due to chromosome issues. Damaged egg cell or sperm also causes this condition.
Long-term health issues of the mom-to-be also act as risk factors. The issues include hypertension, heart disorders, uncontrolled blood sugar, thyroid disorder, kidney disorder, lupus and other immune system diseases, and antiphospholipid syndrome.
In addition, if a mom-to-be has a sexually transmitted infection (STI), she is more likely to suffer a miscarriage. In fact, STIs pose dangerous risk factors of miscarriage. Infections like gonorrhea, syphilis, AIDS, and chlamydia are dangerous. So are malaria and German measles.
Miscarriage in the second trimester
According to doctors, a weakened cervix is unable to hold the fetus. The cervix opens too early, usually in the second trimester, leading to miscarriage.
Other risk factors
- Women above 35 have about 20 per cent chance of miscarriage. Women above 40 have 40 per cent chance, while those above 45 carry around 80 per cent chance of miscarriage.
- Obesity is a dangerous risk factor of miscarriage.
- Women who smoke, consume alcohol, or indulge in substance abuse during pregnancy increase the risk of miscarriage.
- Drinking excessive caffeine-containing beverages like coffee (more than the recommended amount of 200mg daily) puts you at risk.
- Consuming partially cooked or uncooked meat or eggs or unpasteurized dairy products might lead to food poisoning, which can lead to miscarriage.
- Certain medications can pose as dangerous risk factors of miscarriage.
- Any physical trauma can lead to miscarriage. You need to be careful about your movements during pregnancy.
Impact of miscarriage on the couple
As mentioned in the beginning, miscarriage brings along emotional trauma. Physically, a woman might feel fatigued, decreased appetite, and difficulty in falling asleep after miscarriage.
Emotionally, a woman may go into depression or shock. She may get deep feelings of guilt and anger.
Not everybody reacts in the same manner. Every woman or couple, for that matter, grieve in their own way. Some vent out their feelings, while some might not want to talk about the unfortunate episode at all.
In case the couple finds it too difficult to handle miscarriage, they must take counseling sessions and therapy.
Once you know the common causes and dangerous risk factors of miscarriage, you must try to avoid them as much as possible. You cannot control genetic issues, but you can certainly control the other risk factors like diet, your habits, weight, and movements. Try to manage your diabetes and blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about pre-existing health problems before you conceive. Miscarriage is a mis-happening, but certainly not the end of the world.
