Life Begins...

Miscarriage stories of loss, hope and help. It's always devastating to experience a loss. It can cause you to feel alone, isolated. There's no 'right' way to feel - a range of reactions are possible and normal. In addition to the grief you may feel, your body will be undergoing some profound hormonal adjustments, which may make you feel very emotionally volatile. If you have had a miscarriage, take the time to understand better why these occur and why it is not your fault.

Showing posts with label risk factors. Show all posts

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Miscarriage and toxoplasmosis

If you are pregnant and own a cat, remember to have someone else change the cat litter. Cats are carriers of the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by parasites transmitted to humans from infected cats.

The parasite lives inside the cat's intestines and is passed into the feces, so changing your cat's litter box puts you at risk. One of the possible effects of toxoplasmosis is miscarriage.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-14154-Raleigh-Infertility--Miscarriage-Examiner~y2009m7d27-Miscarriage-and-toxoplasmosis

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

5,500 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: why are you more fertile after miscarriage, false unicorn root improving occytes, early miscarriage stories, share walk of remembrance, miscarriage grief

Friday, July 17, 2009

Study highlights miscarriage risk

Pregnant women undergoing tests for foetal abnormalities could be up to twice as likely to miscarry if they attend a small hospital unit, according to new research.

Some 30,000 women a year in the UK undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to detect possible problems with a pregnancy.

Amniocentesis indicate the likelihood of the baby developing chromosomal conditions, such as Down syndrome or Edward's syndrome.

The test carries a risk of miscarriage and is usually only offered to women when there is a significant risk the baby will develop such a condition.

CVS tests are usually carried out earlier in pregnancy and detect serious foetal problems.

CVS is available to all pregnant women but especially those with a family history of genetic disorders or who are over 35.

The study, involving more than 64,000 pregnant women, found that miscarriage rates were higher at smaller hospital units.

Overall, the miscarriage rate following amniocentesis was 1.4%, and 1.9% following CVS.

But women treated in departments carrying out fewer than 500 amniocentesis tests over an 11-year period had a higher chance of miscarriage than in those attending larger units.

The research, by experts at Copenhagen University Hospital, was published in the Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology journal.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iofG0j_CwU8lsGAancZA6ILCXkww

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

5,100 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: miscarriage rate after healthy ultrasound, miscarriage support boise idaho, stillbirth & miscarriage blogspot, rate of miscarrieages as you age, successful pregnancy after 3 miscarriages

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Statin Drugs May Prevent Miscarriage

Image via Wikipedia

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Drugs normally prescribed to prevent cardiovascular disease may also prevent miscarriages, according to Weill Cornell scientists. Researchers found that spontaneous miscarriages were prevented in mice after giving them a common statin drug, called pravastatin (Pravachol).

The research team, led by Dr. Guillermina Girardi, assistant professor of pharmacology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, studied a mouse model that mirrors recurrent spontaneous miscarriages and found that these mice had high levels of tissue factor (TF), a protein that promotes inflammation and clotting. Statin drugs are used to prevent clotting and inflammation within the cardiovascular system, so the scientists hypothesized that they may also help to prevent miscarriages.

Dr. Girardi found that pravastatin diminishes TF levels, and therefore prevents thrombosis and restores placental blood flow. Further clinical studies are under way to determine if the same strategy is effective in women. This study was recently published in the journal BLOOD, a publication of the American Society of Hematology.

For more information, visit www.nyp.org and www.med.cornell.edu .

Source: http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Research_270/Statin_Drugs_May_Prevent_Miscarriage.shtml

Recent Keyword Searches: can heavy exercise cause miscarriage?, can green tea make you miscarry, naming a miscarried baby, vitamins after miscarriage, miscarrage risk over forty, inspiration thoughts for miscarriage

Thursday, April 30, 2009

I lost two babies in shattering miscarriages, because I was allergic to gluten

lost 2 babies, because I was allergic to gluten

When Janet and Andrew Hewitt started trying for a family, they thought it would happen easily - they were both fit and apparently healthy. So when, after 18 months, Janet still hadn't managed to conceive, they began to wonder if something was wrong and underwent fertility tests.

'But everything came back normal, so we were sent away and told to keep trying,' recalls Janet.

* For more information, visit Coeliac UK at http://www.coeliac.org.uk/ or call 0870 444 8804.

Recent Keyword Searches: miscarriage inspiration, blighted ovum, miscarried twin, chocolate found to reduce risk of miscarriage, pregnancy after miscarriage successful

Monday, November 24, 2008

Living near heavy traffic increases chances of miscarriage and newborn death

Women who live near busy streets have an increased chance of a miscarriage or of their newborns dying, reports a study from Brazil. The findings implicate air pollution.

Women living in areas with heavy traffic flow are 1.5 times more likely to lose their babies during late gestation or have their newborns die compared to those who live in areas with less traffic, according to a Brazilian study.

The research finds a positive association between living in heavy traffic areas and risk of losing late term pregnancies or giving birth to a baby who dies during the first week of life. Previous studies have linked air pollution exposure to higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and perinatal mortality (i.e., death that occurs between 22 weeks gestation and first six days of life).

No prior studies, however, have investigated directly the effects of residing near these high traffic areas on fetal or infant mortality. Brazil has one of the highest perinatal death rates in the world and some cities in Brazil are highly polluted due to heavy auto and truck traffic.

In this case-control study, researchers compared the addresses of 318 women living in São Paulo, Brazil, who lost their children either during pregnancy or shortly after birth (the "cases") to those of 313 women whose children survived past 28 days (the controls). Mothers with the highest exposure to traffic-related pollution were more likely to have had a child die, and the highest risk was for young infants during the first week of life. The authors, however, could not rule out the potential confounding factors of birth weight or gestational age, which may also be impacted by traffic-related air pollution. Typically, those who live in high traffic areas are also more likely to be smokers, have low socio-economic status and have worse health care; factors that potentially add to the complexity of the observation. This study did not statistically adjust for these factors so the effects may be due to something other than air pollution. Even though, the increased risk is very high and deserves additional studies to find its cause.

Traffic related air pollution and perinatal mortality: a case-control study. Environmental Health Perspectives doi:10.1289/ehp.11679.

Full article: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/living-near-heavy-traffic-increases-the-chance-of-miscarriage-and-newborn-death

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,800 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: aspirin while trying to conceive in over 30 women, maca - infertility over 45, ivf misscarriage stillbirth, home remedies to prevent miscarriage, misscarriage at age 42

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Miscarriage hurts next pregnancy

Photo by news.bbc.co.uk

Women who miscarry can go on to have successful pregnancies

Women who have had just one miscarriage are more likely to suffer complications in future pregnancies, research shows.

The University of Aberdeen study is the first of its kind to assess the impact of an initial miscarriage on the next ongoing pregnancy.

The women were 3.3 times more likely to have pre-eclampsia and 1.5 times more likely to have a premature baby.

The authors said these women should be monitored as well as those who have recurrent miscarriages.

Previous work has focussed on the consequences of three or more miscarriages (recurrent miscarriage), although for most women, a single miscarriage is far more likely.

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7657467.stm

Recent Keyword Searches: subsequent pregnancy after 40, can i miscarry if i quit smoking, how your body feels when miscarrying, what happens when miscarry, how do you feel, islamic advice on miscarriage

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Blood Type & Miscarriage

From The prenatal wages of interracial relationships

All of this means that genes matter, and they matter in ways we can possibly predict. For example, imagine a population where everyone has blood group O (many Native American tribes are like this) and another where everyone has blood A (I believe this is close to true for the Blackfeet). If you make the claim (which is empirically defensible, see links above) that women who are O blood group will have much higher rates of miscarriage when they are carrying babies from males who are of blood group A, you can conclude that matings between the first population and second will have reduced fertility.

But, the same applies to people from populations where there is a fair amount of blood group variation. If a woman from a village in Norway of blood group O marries a man from the same village of blood group A, even if they are cousins she will have the same heightened risk of miscarriage. There's nothing mystical in the blood here, it's simple genetics. The likelihood is a product of clear and distinct factors.

Full story: http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/2008/10/the_prenatal_wages_of_interrac.php

Recent Keyword Searches: miscarriage at five months?, can vitamins help a womans egg quality, de ivf for women over 50, worrisome bleeding in pregnancy, miscarriage over 40 support

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Exercise may Help Pregnant Women Quit Smoking

Photo by www.themedguru.com

Doctors often advise women to quit smoking during pregnancy as it may increase their risk of miscarriage, but it is really hard for some to kick the smoking habit. Now, scientists have presented a simple method for pregnant women that they claim would significantly help them in quitting smoking habit.

A pregnant woman who is a heavy smoker and unable to quit should try exercising, suggest a new study by the British researchers who found a link between physical exertion and smoking cessation.

Full story: http://www.themedguru.com/articles/exercise_may_help_pregnant_women_quit_smoking-86112015.html

Life Begins...
Miscarriage stories of loss, hope & help
http://born2luv.blogspot.com/

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,800 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: what physical exercise that can cause miscarriage, dr scher miscarriage, in vitro fert/ pregnancy miscarriage, share walk of rememberence and hope, miscarry emotional pain

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Miscarriage linked to first weeks of life in foetuses

Picture by missmeliss916

EXPERTS believe they have come a step closer to understanding why women suffer miscarriages.

A study out yesterday found that the babies involved in miscarriage had always failed to grow properly in the first few weeks of life.

The research, on 292 women, revealed that the so-called crown-rump length (CRL) of the foetus was "significantly smaller" in pregnancies that subsequently ended in miscarriage.

Full story: http://news.scotsman.com/scitech/Miscarriage--linked-to-.4451376.jp

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,750 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: how much aspirin for reoccurring miscarriages, odds of miscarriage repeat weeks, waiting for a miscarriage to start, reducing risk of miscarriage in older mom, passing a missed miscarriage

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Work on miscarriage markers wins VI Basque Research Thesis Prize

Picture by hburroughs

first prize of a laptop computer and a weekend holiday in a Basque tourism farmhouse

The Elhuyar Foundation, through its Basque Research website, organised the VI PhD Thesis Prize and this morning the judges’ panel made its decisions known. This year the winner was Ms Estibaliz Alegre, a researcher at the University of Navarra, for her work entitled, La molécula HLA-G como marcador de aborto espontáneo (The HLA-G molecule as a marker in spontaneous abortions).

Ms Alegre is a biochemist and has done research into a marker which can help to identify women at risk of suffering miscarriages. The extract that she presented, apart from being written in an understandable and easy to read manner and was focused from the outset on the core of the matter under research.

This was one of the reasons the Jury decided to award her the first prize of a laptop computer and a weekend holiday in a Basque tourism farmhouse, courtesy of Sistek Computers & Microsystems and Nekatur, respectively.

Source: http://www.basqueresearch.com/berria_irakurri.asp?Berri_Kod=1787&hizk=I

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,650 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: words of support for mother who had miscarriage, how to reduce a miscarry, protocol of 23 week baby death, miscarriage myths, miscarriage 5 months babies

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Mum’s warning after loss of baby

A HEARTBROKEN mum who lost her baby to a common virus is calling for greater awareness of the disease.

Jemma Nicholls’ unborn child contracted parvovirus B19, commonly known as ‘slapped cheek syndrome’, while in the womb.

Miss Nicholls, 27, lost her baby on May 20 after being exposed to the virus – which causes a rash and flu-like symptoms in young children – at her son’s school, Dalton St Mary’s CofE Primary.

She knew nothing of the risks because, in the majority of cases, slapped cheek syndrome does not lead to complications and most pregnant women are already immune.

For more information consult the NHS Direct website www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call them on 0845 4647.

Read more

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Miscarriage: Why it Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks--A Doctor's Guide to the Facts
-- Whether it occurs in the first trimester or later in a pregnancy, a miscarriage is always an emotionally traumatic event, sometimes a physically daunting one, and all too often an isolating experience. Adding to the frustration and disappointment of the 800,000 women who miscarry every year, busy obstetricians often lack up-to-date or specific knowledge about the causes and consequences of this profound event.
Into this fact-vacuum comes After Miscarriage, a book that every physician will confidently recommend and that women hungry for information will seek out. From the chromosomal, illness-related, immunological, and genetic reasons for miscarriage to the diagnostic tests and surgical procedures now available, this authoritative guide reflects the latest medical information on why miscarriages do and don't happen and the best methodologies known for recovery and preparing to conceive again.
Complete with stories from women who have miscarried and reassuring input from a female doctor, After Miscarriage also provides substantive advice for coping with the anxiety and depression that often accompany the loss of pregnancy.

◊ Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+.

More "Pregnancy Over 40" blogs to visit:
Life Begins... - Miscarriage stories of loss, hope & help
Pregnancy Stories by Age - Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's - Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
Stories of Pregnancy and Birth over 44 years old - sharing news stories I find online, for inspiration!

Friday, June 20, 2008

New book on miscarriages

Photo by www.miscarriagemedicinemiracles.com

In "Miscarriage, Medicine & Miracles: Everything You Need to Know About Miscarriage" (Bantam, $25), author Dr. Bruce K. Young provides comprehensive information on the causes and prevention of miscarriages. A few causes include hormonal deficiencies, fibroids and cervical insufficiency, for which treatments are available. The book also breaks down myths and explores grief as well as coping techniques following a lost pregnancy.

Website: www.miscarriagemedicinemiracles.com/

Google Book Search: http://books.google.com/books?id=WPfaIAAACAAJ&dq=%22Miscarriage,+Medicine+%26+Miracles%22&ei=3_BbSJC4DpTIsQOsgoS_DQ

Buy this book: Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-A-Million, BookSense.com, Google Product Search, Amazon.ca, Chapters.indigo.ca

Recent Keyword Searches: lingering miscarriage, using heparin for repeated miscarriages, miscarriage risk after 10 weeks, ivf pcos and miscarriage, how to mother should look after herself first 12 weeks of a baby life

Friday, May 30, 2008

Miscarriages: Understanding the missing links

Photo by central

Pregnancy loss can be emotionally devastating to both mother and father. Frequently, the response tends to be, “Why me, and what could we have done differently?” It is important for these couples to realize that the miscarriage is usually not a result of something that they have done. It is also important to realize that they are not alone.

Full article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/?p=13500

Facts about Miscarriage
Information, hope, and healing for women who have lost babies due to miscarriage, still birth, or premature labour.

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,600 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: when does the risk of miscarriage reduce, evening primrose oil uterus toner, recurrent miscarriage specialists and ontario, herbs preventing miscarriage, experiences of miscarriage after ivf

Monday, May 05, 2008

Serious Safety Issues for Female Veterinarians

Photo by www.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) X-rays, anaesthetic gases and pesticides contribute to a high level of miscarriage in female veterinarians. In fact, researchers found that they were twice as likely to miscarry as reported in an article published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. (1)

Researchers from the UK and Australia, lead by Professor Lin Fritschi, used a survey to discover health risks of graduates from Australian veterinary schools from 1960 to 2000.

The risks to pregnant female vets who conducted surgery and were exposed to unscavenged anaesthetic gases for more than an hour every week had the highest rate of miscarriage – 2.5 times more likely than those who weren't.

Unscavenged anaesthetic gases are what is exhaled by anaesthetised animals in the operating theatre. The longer the surgery, the longer the exposure to these gases.

A simple anaesthetic consists of nitrous oxide and oxygen. It is the nitrous oxide that is of concern. Other studies have found that nitrous oxide interferes with the synthesis of folate, methionine and thiamin by vitamin B12. These components play a role in normal cell division and the production of DNA.

It is believed that this interference is the cause of higher rates of miscarriage and infertility in female health workers. Studies in 1992 involving dental assistants found that there was a relationship between exposure to high levels of unscavenged anaesthetic gas and reduced fertility. (2)

Fritschi's team reported that the use of X-rays is also linked to miscarriages. Female vets carrying out more than 5 diagnostic X-rays per week were 1.8 times more likely to miscarry than those who performed less X-rays.

X-rays are electromagnetic radiation and have been linked to cancer. X-rays pass through the body and can cause damage to cells like other forms of high energy radiation such as those emitted by the sun. This means that the more exposure you have, the greater the risk. (3)

Another, perhaps unsurprising, finding of Fritschi's research is that vets who use pesticides increased their chance of miscarriage by 1.9 times.

The research team noted that vets who graduated in the 60's and 70's were less likely to take precautions as there was much less emphasis and less knowledge about occupational health and safety issues. However, they stressed that female vets should be informed of the risks to reproductive health.

References:

1. ((www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,2 ...)

2. Rowland AS, Baird DD, Weinberg CR, Shore DL, Shy CM, Wilcox AJ (1992). 'Reduced fertility among women employed as dental nurses exposed to high levels of nitrous oxide'. New England Journal of Medicine, 327: 993-7.

3. ((www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/ ...)

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/023113.html

Recent Keyword Searches: late miscarriage sperm quality, reduce risk of miscarriage, misdiagnosed miscarriages, give up after recurrent miscarriages, multiple miscarriages folic acid, natural miscarriage vs d&c, i am pregnant at 44. will i miscarry, recent miscarried at 17 weeks 5 days blogs, miscarriage what to expect, what do you do to prevent miscarriages when you have had so many

Friday, April 18, 2008

Chocolate found to reduce risk of miscarriage

Photo by www.naturalnews.com
(NaturalNews) If you're pregnant, you may be happy to know that chocolate cravings may be good for you. New research shows morning sickness lowers the risk of miscarriage by almost 70 percent -- and eating chocolate daily also appears to lower the risk of miscarriage.

"Chocolate is a genuine healing food," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and holistic nutritionist. "It helps prevent cancer, boosts liver function and improves moods and energy. The key, though, is getting real cacao, not the candied chocolate that's mostly sugar and milk fat. When shopping for a chocolate bar, look for a cacao content of 75 percent or higher, and always buy organic chocolate," Adams said.

Researchers from a new study said that chocolate also made pregnant women feel well enough to "fly or to have sex." When it came to morning sickness, the researchers said that the worse the nausea, the better.
In addition, the study revealed that there was no evidence that working full time had a worse effect on the risk of miscarriage than part-time work or staying at home -- even if the job involved standing for more than six hours day or heavy lifting. Women who stated that their jobs were stressful or demanding were significantly more likely to miscarry in the first three months of pregnancy, however.

The study also concluded that women were more likely to miscarry if the baby's father was older than 45, and women who were underweight when they conceived were 72 percent more likely to miscarry in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The lead author of the study -- Noreen Maconochie -- said "It can be a very distressing experience for women, and any advice on how they can improve their chances of achieving a full-term pregnancy is likely to be welcome." Maconochie then added that, the causes for the majority of miscarriages ''are not wholly understood'' -- and many suspected risk factors remain controversial or unproven.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/021272.html

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,550 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Trying Again After Recurrent Miscarriages

Photo by Andy Martin

Valerie and John Quinones, a Brooklyn couple in their mid-30s, were more than ready for a baby. Ms. Quinones had no trouble conceiving, but miscarried her first pregnancy at 6 weeks. Soon she was pregnant again, but this time no heartbeat was detected at 9 weeks.

After those consecutive pregnancy losses, her doctor suggested a blood test that showed a rare clotting disorder that, the doctor said, might, or might not, be responsible for the problem. He suggested that as soon as she conceived again she should begin daily injections with a blood-thinning drug and continue that throughout the pregnancy.

Nine months later, Carolina Quinones entered the world at 7 pounds 9 ounces, hale and hearty.

If you know or read about all the things that can go wrong in achieving and maintaining a successful pregnancy, you will no doubt wonder how so many healthy babies manage to be born. More than half of pregnancies are spontaneously lost even before the woman has missed a menstrual period and knows that she is pregnant, and about 15 to 20 percent of recognized pregnancies are miscarried in the next few months. For couples who want a baby, these are daunting numbers.

Quick on their heels, however, are very reassuring numbers. For 80 to 90 percent of women who lose one pregnancy, the next one, even with no treatment, results in a successful birth. But the devastation is compounded and the statistics slightly less hopeful when a woman has lost two or more pregnancies. After two consecutive miscarriages, there is a 75 percent chance that the next pregnancy will be maintained. After three miscarriages, there is a 65 percent chance.

Unproven or Useless Remedies

Myths abound as to why women experience recurrent miscarriages. The uninformed tend to blame factors like undue stress, too much exercise, being too thin or too fat, exposure to occupational or environmental toxins, excessive use of computers or cellphones and bad habits like smoking or drinking too much coffee. Affected couples, often desperate for a solution, sometimes grasp at unproven or useless remedies. What they need instead is factual information, emotional support and, if possible, treatment based on a medically established cause.

Helped by Dr. Sandra A. Carson of Brown University and Dr. D. Ware Branch of the University of Utah, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently issued an updated report on what is known and not known about the causes of repeated miscarriage and its proper treatment.

Perhaps most telling is the bottom line. Approximately one woman of reproductive age in 100 will experience recurrent pregnancy loss, and in no more than half of couples will a definite cause be established. Furthermore, several reported causes are controversial, as are their treatments.

“Although a common concern of patients,” the report says, “environmental factors rarely have been linked to sporadic pregnancy loss, and no associations between environmental factors and recurrent pregnancy loss have been established.” It adds, “No association between occupational exposure or working itself and recurrent pregnancy loss have been established.” Neither have any infectious agents been proved to cause recurrent miscarriage, the report adds.

Dr. Carson said in an interview, “The overwhelming majority of recurrent miscarriages occur because something is wrong with the baby, most often a chromosomal abnormality.” This risk increases with the mother’s age and, some studies suggest, with the father’s age, because of genetic errors in the egg or sperm that result in embryos with too many or too few chromosomes.

In 2 to 4 percent of couples with recurrent loss, one partner is found with a problem, a genetically balanced rearrangement of chromosomes. He or she is normal, but when the egg or sperm is formed, it can end up with an extra chromosome piece or a missing segment, resulting in an embryo that cannot survive. In such cases, a couple may choose in vitro fertilization, with genetic analysis of the resulting embryos performed to select a chromosomally normal one for implantation.

Structural abnormalities of the uterus are found in 10 to 15 percent of women who have recurrent miscarriages, though experts disagree over whether these problems impede a successful pregnancy. Likewise, the role of fibroids and endometriosis is controversial, and surgery to remove such extra tissue may not prevent another miscarriage.

When a Blood Thinner Can Help

An autoimmune disorder that involves the production of antibodies to phospholipids, which are important components of blood vessel walls, can sometimes cause clots in the small blood vessels of the placenta. The resulting damage can cause recurrent miscarriage. In women with high levels of such antibodies, treatment with the blood thinner heparin and low-dose aspirin can reduce, though not necessarily eliminate, the risk of repeated miscarriage, Dr. Carson said.

While there is no good evidence that a woman’s immunity to her partner’s tissues is responsible for repeated miscarriage, suggestive evidence indicates that an immune abnormality may occur that interferes with producing the intrauterine growth factors needed for a successful pregnancy. But there is no proven treatment for such a problem.

One popular notion to explain recurrent miscarriage is inadequate production of progesterone, the hormone released after ovulation that prepares the uterus for pregnancy. This idea has resulted in many efforts to support an incipient pregnancy by administering progesterone, a treatment that Dr. Carson described as harmless but not likely to be effective. Some researchers suggest that if a hormonal problem exists it may begin before the egg is released and that drugs to stimulate ovulation may be more helpful.

Even after the most thorough work-up, half to three-fourths of couples with recurrent pregnancy loss “will have no certain diagnosis,” the report states. For such couples, the best medicine is good information and sympathetic counseling, combined with optimistic statistics. “Live birth rates between 35 percent and 85 percent are commonly reported in couples with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss who undertake an untreated or placebo-treated subsequent pregnancy.”

A combined analysis of the best studies available in 1995 showed that 60 to 70 percent of women with unexplained recurrent losses would have successful next pregnancies.

Of course, every woman contemplating pregnancy would be wise to follow the recommendations of the March of Dimes to start prenatal vitamin supplements before becoming pregnant. Throughout pregnancy, eat healthfully, exercise moderately, avoid alcohol, eat fish (but avoid seafood high in mercury), limit caffeinated drinks to two a day and check with the doctor before taking medications or dietary supplements.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/health/25brod.html?ref=science

Recent Keyword Searches: miscarriage rates, what are the chance of a child being born after a miscarriage, risk of miscarriage at 45, high fsh miscarriage rate, over 50 mothers natural conception, pregnancy after miscarriage, words to console the lost of a baby, will my next pregnancy be successful after 2 miscarriages?, once a miscarriage begins can it take weeks to complete, tips for preventing miscarriages

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Miscarriage risk minimal if first visit is normal

Photo by

jeinny

For pregnant women without symptoms, and who have ultrasound evidence that their fetus is viability at the first prenatal visit, the risk of subsequent miscarriage is less than two per cent -- well below previously reported rates -- according to a large study conducted in Australia.

The overall risk of miscarriage once a woman knows she is pregnant is 12 to 15 per cent, the researchers note in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Even after ultrasound has confirmed that the fetus is healthy, studies have shown that early miscarriage rates can be as high as 12 per cent.

However, no studies have exclusively investigated the miscarriage risk among women without symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding or lower abdominal pain, Dr. Stephen Tong, from Monash University in Victoria, and colleagues point out.

Tong's group conducted a study with 696 asymptomatic women carrying one fetus who attended their first prenatal visit between six and 11 weeks of pregnancy. Ultrasound exams documented fetal cardiac activity.

Eleven patients (1.6 per cent) had a miscarriage before 20 weeks. The risk was relatively high at 9.4 per cent among the women who were six weeks pregnancy, falling to 1.5 per cent among those who were eight-weeks pregnant, and less than 0.7 per cent from nine weeks onward.

The study was conducted in a regular prenatal clinic, "not a specialized early pregnancy clinic or an ultrasound department," Tong's group points out, and none of the attending physicians who performed the initial ultrasonography had any formal subspecialty qualifications.

"Consequently, we believe that our data could be extrapolated generally to health care providers provided that they are able to offer office ultrasonography to confirm viability at that visit," the team surmises.

Ford's group concludes that, for asymptomatic women who have their first prenatal visit between eight and 11 weeks of pregnancy and do not have pregnancy risk factors, "our data may be useful as a counseling tool to reassure such women at the end of their first prenatal visit that their risk of loss is already very low."

Source: http://www.medicexchange.com/mall/departmentpage.cfm/MedicExchangeUSA/_81694/4031/departments-contentview

Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
- Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

4,500 Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44y
Daily blog of hope & inspiration!
http://pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com/

You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's
Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestions
http://youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com/

Recent Keyword Searches: miscarriage symbols, misdiagnosed miscarriages, can birth stress cause a miscarriage, percentage of miscarriage births in united states 2008, does maca prevent miscarriage?, hcg misdiagnosed miscarriage, miscarriage is who's fault?, pcos and ivf and miscarriage, how life effects miscarriage, miscarriage woman age

TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Pregnancy Miracle -- - A 279-page, instantly downloadable e-book presenting a 5-step, sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, clinically proven holistic and ancient Chinese system for permanently reversing your infertility and your partner's infertility disorders and getting pregnant quickly, naturally and safely within 2-4 months without drugs, dangerous surgeries, side effects, or expensive infertility treatments. It's probably the most powerful infertility reversal system ever developed, and currently the best-selling e-book of its kind on the entire Web! Here's what the author Lisa Olson had to say about her incredible program: "After 14 years of trial, error and experimentation, I finally discovered the answer to infertility and developed a fool-proof system to getting pregnant the natural way - no drugs, or surgery necessary. And now I'm finally revealing my secrets in this new 'encyclopedia' of pregnancy called, Pregnancy Miracle." "I will be your own personal coach, take you by the hand, and lead you through the lousy advice, hype and gimmicks...and directly to the sort of inner balance perfection that will end your battle with infertility forever and help you become a proud mother of your healthy children."