Hardly any other event occupies men and women as much as a pregnancy and the upcoming birth. During the nine months in which the new life grows, the expectant parents go through a roller coaster of emotions. Joy, fear, uncertainty, dreams and wishful thinking go hand in hand with the mother’s physical changes. But 10 to 30% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage: the child cannot be carried to term.
What is a miscarriage
A “miscarriage” (abortion) is when the baby weighing less than 500 grams is stillborn. Stillborn babies weighing more than 500 grams are called stillbirths. According to the course of pregnancy, a further distinction is then made between early miscarriage (up to 12 weeks gestation) and late miscarriage (up to 25 weeks gestation).
Causes of miscarriage
There are several causes of miscarriage:
- Genetic defects of the embryo.
- Maternal factors such as infections or malformations of the uterus or placenta.
- Hormonal disorders (eg, a luteal hormone deficiency).
- Blood group incompatibilities
- On the father’s side, sperm malformations and genetic disorders, among others, can lead to abortion.
More than half of early abortions are probably due to defective fertility. It is therefore a perfectly reasonable reaction of the body not to let this malformed embryo continue to grow.
Often mistaken for heavy menstrual bleeding
A miscarriage typically makes itself known with vaginal bleeding and the onset of labor. However, the bleeding is also the reason that a large number of miscarriages in very early pregnancy are not recorded because they are considered late, very heavy menstrual bleeding. The risk of miscarriage decreases during the course of pregnancy: if it is still about 15% in the first 6-8 weeks, it decreases to about 3% by the 17th week of pregnancy.
Doctors distinguish miscarriages mainly according to clinical aspects, although in very few cases the decisive cause can be found: In a threatened miscarriage (abortus imminens), bleeding has occurred, but the pregnancy is still intact. In this case, every effort will be made to preserve the pregnancy. Bed rest, labor inhibitors, and also sedatives are often used for this purpose.
In an abortus incipiens, the miscarriage has already begun, the water has broken, and labor has begun. In this case, the miscarriage cannot be stopped. Doctors will make every effort to end the birth without further complications for the mother.
In an incomplete miscarriage (abortus imcompletus), residue such as the placenta is still present in the uterus. Again, the birth must be completed as soon as possible in the hospital.
Infant death in utero
In some cases, the baby dies in the womb without going into labor or bleeding. Mothers notice that the baby stops moving. Infant death in utero is then detected by ultrasound. In this case, birth is induced with medication. As a rule, the mother gives birth to the dead child in a “natural” way, which is extremely stressful for the affected woman, but helps her cope with the miscarriage.
Bleeding in pregnancy is always a reason to visit his doctor or directly to the clinic. If a miscarriage cannot be stopped, the birth that has begun must be terminated as soon as possible so that the mother does not suffer complications and the investigation of the cause can begin.
