Miscarriage (Abortion): Prevention

To prevent miscarriage (abortion), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

• Diet
  • Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see Prevention with micronutrients.
• Consumption of stimulants
  • Coffee – Women who consumed 200 mg (equivalent to one cup of coffee) or more of caffeine per day during pregnancy had twice the risk of miscarriage (abortion) as women who did not consume caffeine.
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco (smoking)
• Physical activity
  • Too much exercise at the beginning of pregnancy – Pregnant women who exercise more than seven hours per week have a three-and-a-half times higher risk of losing their child than women who avoid physical exertion; the most dangerous sports are: jogging, ball sports or tennis; swimming is safe; after the 18th week of pregnancy, there was no detectable increased risk of miscarriage
  • Regular lifting of objects weighing more than 20 kg.
• Psycho-social situation
  • Stress
  • Shift work before pregnancy
• Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity)-risk factor for stillbirth and infant mortality; increase in risk for stillbirth with body mass index (BMI)-increase in women between pregnancies:
  • 2 to 4 kg/m2 increased risk by 38%.
  • ≥ 4 kg/m2 increased the risk by 55%.

X-rays

• Radiatio (radiotherapy) for tumor diseases.
• X-rays in diagnostics

Environmental pollution – intoxications (poisonings).

• Occupational contact with carcinogens
• Air pollutants: sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels correlate with the number of restrained abortions (Engl. missed abortion)
• Phthalates (mainly as plasticizers for soft PVC)Note: Phthalates belong to the endocrine disruptors (synonym: xenohormones), which can harm health even in small amounts by changing the hormonal system.

Other risk factors

• Invasive prenatal diagnostics – prenatal diagnosis of possible diseases of the child in the womb by amniocentesis (amniocentesis), chorionic villus sampling or umbilical cord puncture.

Prevention factors (protective factors)

• Preconceptional (“before conception“) weight loss is recommended for obesity.
• Any vaginal infection should be adequately treated in the context of pregnancy.
• Chronic endometritis (uterine inflammation) should be treated with antibiotics for the purpose of abortion prophylaxis.

Supplements (dietary supplements; vital substances)

Suitable dietary supplements should contain the following vital substances, among others:

• Vitamins (folic acid* /* * * L-methylfolate* (5-MTHF), cobalamin* * (vitamin B12)).
• Trace elements (iodine* * * )

Legend:* Prevention* * Risk group* * * Deficiency symptoms.

Note: The listed vital substances are not a substitute for drug therapy. Dietary supplements are intended to supplement the general diet in the particular life situation.