Miscarage / Implantation Failure Investigation
Miscarriage. It is a difficult subject that is rarely discussed among friends and family, even though it occurs with surprising frequency. As many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage – most often before a woman misses a menstrual period or even knows that she is pregnant.
Recurrent miscarriage, which is defined as a sequence of two or more spontaneous pregnancy losses, is much less common, with an estimated occurrence of 1%. Further evaluation is recommended when a woman has three or more miscarriages. So what are the most common causes of recurrent miscarriage?
- Approximately 60% of miscarriages result from an embryo having an incorrect number of chromosomes. By and large, this occurs randomly, though it becomes more common as a woman gets older.
- In approximately 3% of couples that have had recurrent miscarriages, one partner has been found to be a carrier of a balanced translocation.
- Another possible cause of recurrent miscarriage is a congenital anomaly of the uterus. Examples include a septate uterus, adhesions and scarring of the uterus, an incompetent cervix, fibroids, and polyps.
- Women with certain medical conditions may also have an increased risk for recurrent miscarriages. Antiphospholipid syndrome, diabetes mellitus, thyroid conditions, and polycystic ovarian syndrome are all relatively common potential causes in this category.
Unfortunately, health care providers cannot determine an etiology in 50-75% of women with repeated miscarriages.