Miscarriages, unfortunately, can happen for a number of reasons. Couples who have experienced one or multiple miscarriages may have been told that the reason why it happened cannot be explained (what is known as “unexplained miscarriages”).
The unknown is hard to accept as couples want to do everything in their power to give their embryo (pre-8 weeks) or fetus (post 8 weeks) the best chances.
The causes of a miscarriage vary, with a long list of factors that may have an impact:
- Unsuccessful implantation of a fertilised egg
- Infection
- Hormonal irregularities
- Exposure to hazardous environments
- Uterine abnormalities
- Cervix
- Lifestyle factors such as alcohol or drug consumption and smoking
- Immune system disorders
- Kidney or heart or thyroid disease
- Severe malnutrition
Although most of the time the causes of miscarriage are not clearly identifiable, there are still a few known causes:
- random chromosome abnormalities
- age
- and parental chromosome abnormalities.
Random chromosome abnormalities
This is the most common cause of miscarriage. As many as 60% to 70% of embryos are lost during the first 12 weeks of gestation. Many genetic and environmental factors can influence the rate of chromosome abnormalities, including age and pre-existing parental chromosome abnormalities. [20]
Age
According to recent research, 33% of pregnancies in women over the age of 40 results in miscarriage. This is due to older women having a higher rate of chromosomal anomalies. Miscarriage rates in women with male partners over the age of 35 were also double the rate of those with younger partners. This significantly higher rate may be due to sperm quality and quantity. [21,22]
Parental chromosome abnormalities
A very small percentage of the population have chromosomal disorders. This can cause egg implantation to fail, resulting in a miscarriage. In some cases, it will result in a child being born with genetic abnormalities. Types of chromosome abnormalities that can result in miscarriage include:
- Uterine abnormalities: Fibroids and uterine septum can increase the likelihood of miscarriage.
- Immune disorders: For example, antiphospholipid syndrome, uterus “natural killer cells” and sperm DNA fragmentation.
- Hormonal imbalances: Low progesterone levels can result in a short luteal phase and thyroid disorders which impact gestation. [23,24]
Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
Caring for yourself throughout your pregnancy is crucial to you and your baby’s health.
At Sustain Health, we’ve supported women throughout their pregnancies, from pre-conception to early-stage care to labour preparation and post-partum recovery.
Some women choose to complement their Obstetrician or GP visits with Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. At Sustain Health, we have a team of veteran Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists with knowledge of reproduction and experience providing pregnancy support.
You might also find these articles helpful:
- Preventing Miscarriages with Chinese Medicine
- Early Pregnancy Care
References
20 Hardy, P. J., & Hardy, K. (2018). Chromosomal instability in first trimester miscarriage: a common cause of pregnancy loss?. Translational pediatrics, 7(3), 211–218. doi:10.21037/tp.2018.03.02
21 Nybo Andersen, A. M., Wohlfahrt, J., Christens, P., Olsen, J., & Melbye, M. (2000). Maternal age and fetal loss: population based register linkage study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 320(7251), 1708–1712. doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7251.1708
22 Magnus, M. C., Wilcox, A. J., Morken, N. H., Weinberg, C. R., & Håberg, S. E. (2019). Role of maternal age and pregnancy history in risk of miscarriage: prospective register based study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 364, l869. doi:10.1136/bmj.l869
23 Pal, A. K., Ambulkar, P. S., Waghmare, J. E., Wankhede, V., Shende, M. R., & Tarnekar, A. M. (2018). Chromosomal Aberrations in Couples with Pregnancy Loss: A Retrospective Study. Journal of human reproductive sciences, 11(3), 247–253. doi:10.4103/jhrs.JHRS_124_17
24 Theisen, A., & Shaffer, L. G. (2010). Disorders caused by chromosome abnormalities. The application of clinical genetics, 3, 159–174. doi:10.2147/TACG.S8884
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