No specific treatment is usually needed during the first 7 to 14 days. Avoiding drugs, alcohol, infectious diseases, and radiation may decrease the risk of miscarriage. Prevention is occasionally possible with good prenatal care. Other conditions that can produce similar symptoms include an ectopic pregnancy and implantation bleeding. Diagnosis of a miscarriage may involve checking to see if the cervix is open or closed, testing blood levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and an ultrasound.

The underlying cause in about half of cases involves chromosomal abnormalities. About 80% of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (the first trimester). Risk factors for miscarriage include being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems, and drug or alcohol use. Recurrent miscarriage may also be considered a form of infertility. Tissue and clot-like material may leave the uterus and pass through and out of the vagina. Sadness, anxiety, and guilt may occur afterwards. The most common symptom of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding with or without pain. Some use the cutoff of 20 weeks of gestation, after which fetal death is known as a stillbirth. Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the natural loss of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Įxpectant management, vacuum aspiration, emotional support Physical examination, human chorionic gonadotropin, ultrasound Įctopic pregnancy, implantation bleeding. Infection, bleeding, sadness, anxiety, guilt Ĭhromosomal abnormalities, uterine abnormalities īeing an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, drug or alcohol use Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Neonatology, Pediatrics Spontaneous abortion, early pregnancy lossĪn ultrasound showing a gestational sac containing a yolk sac but no embryo.

Late period or pregnancy