Recurrent miscarriage: what it means and what you can do to help
Recurrent miscarriage is when a woman suffers more than three first trimester losses or more than two-second trimester …
Miscarriage
In New Zealand, the term 'miscarriage' is used to define a pregnancy which is lost before completion of the 20th week, or which results in the delivery of a baby not born alive and weighing less than 400g.
It is estimated that around 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage, although some experts believe this is a conservative guess as some pregnancies are lost before the mother is even aware she is pregnant. Most miscarriages occur during the first trimester and the risk of miscarriage is highest between 4 and 6 weeks. The risk drops sharply after around 8 weeks of pregnancy - once a heartbeat is seen on ultrasound there is less than a 5% chance of miscarriage.
Diagnosis and treatment of miscarriage
If a miscarriage is suspected the first thing your doctor will probably do is arrange an ultrasound to determine whether or not the pregnancy is viable. Sometimes, particularly early on in the pregnancy, it is difficult to determine viability, in …
Signs and symptoms of miscarriage
The first sign of miscarriage is usually either vaginal bleeding or painful abdominal cramps. However it is important to remember that a large number of women experience spotting or bleeding in the first few weeks of pregnancy and go on to have …
The most common causes of miscarriage
CHROMOSOMAL DEFECTS/ABNORMALITIES: Chromosomal defects/abnormalities are believed to account for up to 50% of all first trimester miscarriages. In many cases the pregnancy fails to develop past an empty gestational sac, these pregnancies are called …
