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Early Miscarriages: Why Do They Occur?
A chromosomal abnormality of the embryo is often involved
Like many pregnant women (1 in 4), Mélissa was confronted with a miscarriage: her pregnancy ended abruptly after 6 weeks when there was nothing to predict this fatal outcome. At least 15% of pregnancies end in an early miscarriage (before 14 weeks of gestation). The causes of these spontaneous abortions are often unknown, but more often the miscarriage ends a pregnancy which, in any case, could not have continued. The embryo presenting one or more chromosomal abnormalities that prevent its development. The mother then expels an egg which is not viable, it is a kind of natural selection, even if it is a very hard reality to hear when it happens.
Early miscarriage: identified risk factors
In its 2014 recommendations, the French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians recalls the risk factors associated with the occurrence of an early miscarriage:
- maternal age (after 35 years),
- a maternal body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25,
- excessive consumption of coffee oralcohol,
- le tabagisme,
- un history of early miscarriage or voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion),
- and certain fertility disorders.
The risk of miscarriage also increases if the woman is exposed to electromagnetic waves at doses above 50 Hz or if the father is over 45 years old.
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Signs and symptoms of an early miscarriage
Bleeding and pelvic pain
A miscarriage is usually manifested by bleeding and pelvic pain. Other signs can be alert, such as breasts that suddenly collapse, or nausea that subsides. But sometimes there is no warning sign and it is on ultrasound that the verdict falls.
Blood loss, periods, miscarriage: to find out, consult!
Be careful, a loss of blood does not necessarily mean that you will have a miscarriage. Either way, if you have all of these symptoms, it is best to go to the gynecology emergency room nearest you, the doctor can assess the situation quickly. Diagnosis is based on vaginal ultrasound, which can determine if the embryo has heart activity and if a miscarriage is in progress.
Early miscarriage: what treatment, what support?
The pregnancy must be evacuated quickly to avoid any risk of infection. In principle, the body expels the embryo sac on its own. Previously, we recommended waiting for nature to do its job, and we simply made sure, via ultrasound, that everything was back to normal a few weeks later.
Today, in the event of a pregnancy stopped in the first trimester, doctors can leave a few days at most to hope that the embryo is expelled naturally. But very fast, two treatment options are generally offered: surgical aspiration or misoprostol. The latter is a drug administered vaginally to trigger uterine contractions that will facilitate the expulsion of the embryo. The application of misoprostol may be repeated. In all cases, the patient should be informed of the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. When the miscarriage is incomplete, that is, embryo debris persists in the uterus, surgical treatment is indicated.
No need to wait to try to start a new pregnancy
The occurrence of a miscarriage is a difficult event for most couples. Observation of failure, feeling of emptiness, depression … so many feelings that intermingle, and always the same fear of not succeeding in being pregnant or losing a baby again. At least one in four women will have a miscarriage in her life, which will not prevent her from becoming a mother in her turn.
A medical check-up is only prescribed after three consecutive miscarriages. You should know that the treatments used to evacuate the miscarriage do not no impact on subsequent fertility. And, contrary to popular belief, a woman who wishes to be pregnant again no longer needs to postpone her pregnancy plan. Until now, gynecologists have advised women to wait at least three months. This recommendation no longer applies. A pregnancy quickly following a miscarriage is even more likely to be carried to term, according to an American study published in 2010.