Pregnancy is the most delightful experience for a woman. Despite taking the utmost care sometimes the risk of miscarriage cannot be avoided. Miscarriage means the termination of pregnancy within 20 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage is common nearly in 10-25% of pregnancies. Here are certain common causes of miscarriage, which should be taken care of as to avoid miscarriage-
1) Chromosomal abnormalities- This is the reason for half of the miscarriages that happen spontaneously. Some of the problems are either due to chromosomes of egg or sperms during embryo formation. Some chromosomal abnormalities are compatible with life, such as trisomy 21 also known as Down syndrome. Some other chromosomal abnormalities like trisomy 18 (Edwards’ Syndrome) and Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome) are incompatible with life. some other
2) Diabetes- Only uncontrolled diabetes is the cause of miscarriage within 20 weeks of gestation. To avoid this situation blood sugar level should be checked at regular intervals of time. In case the blood sugar level decreases suddenly, medical help should be taken so as to avoid coma or death of the pregnant lady.
3) Style of living- Alcohol, drugs, smoking etc. can cause miscarriage either at early or at a later stage of pregnancy.
4) Thyroid- Whether it be hypo (too low) or hyper (too high), thyroidism disorders can often lead to problems with infertility and can also cause recurrent miscarriages. Study shows in cases where a woman’s thyroid function is low, her body will try to compensate by producing hormones that can actually suppress ovulation, conversely, a thyroid that is producing too many hormones can interfere with estrogen’s ability to do its job and make the uterus unfavorable for implantation or lead to abnormal uterine bleeding.
5) Infection- viral as well as bacterial infection can cause miscarriage. It can be vaginal infection, infection caused through sexually transmitted diseases, food borne infections, toxoplasmosis, rubella etc.
6) Foods- During pregnancy, fruits and other food items eaten daily should be monitored closely. A pregnant woman should avoid eating foods like crabs, pineapple, eggs, papaya, aloe vera, sesame seeds, sprouted potato, wild apple, centalla, animal liver, drumstick tree, soft drinks, eating and drinking cold food, etc. can cause bleeding, uterine contractions, cervix dilation in many and leads to Miscarriage or abortion.
7) Anti- phospholipid syndrome- Anti-phospholipid Syndrome also causes an elevation in the anti-phospholipid antibodies, which can lead to blood clots and interfere with the implantation and growth of the developing embryo. Many women are not even aware about the facts of the syndrome until they’re screened, likely after a loss. If the lady is suffering from the syndrome, blood thinner can help to improve the chances of having a healthy baby.
A simple non-invasive blood test can now detect Down syndrome in a pregnant female within three months of pregnancy. Non Invasive Analysis of Chromosomal Examination (NACE) is a non invasive prenatal test which is safe for both mother and the child. The NACE test is performed on the cell-free fetal DNA, which is extracted from the mother’s blood via a simple blood draw, hence posing zero risk to the baby and to the mother. It is done from the 10th week to the 16th week of pregnancy.
