miscarriage
Sign in to saveMiscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can survive independently. Miscarriage before six weeks of gestation is defined as biochemical loss by ESHRE. Once ultrasound or histological evidence shows that a pregnancy has existed, the term used is clinical miscarriage, which can be "early" (before 12 weeks) or "late" (between 12 and 21 weeks). Spontaneous fetal termination after 20 weeks of gestation is known as a stillbirth. The term miscarriage is sometimes used to
AI overview
A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive on its own, occurring when an embryo or fetus is expelled from the womb early in pregnancy. It matters because it is a significant reproductive health event that can have physical and emotional impacts on those who experience it.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Spontaneous abortion
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- miscarriage, early pregnancy loss
- Medical condition (new).image
- Anembryonic gestation.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- An ultrasound showing a gestational sac containing a yolk sac but no embryo
- Medical condition (new).field
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Neonatology, Pediatrics
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Vaginal bleeding with or without pain
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Infection, bleeding, sadness, anxiety, guilt
- Medical condition (new).onset
- Before 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Chromosomal abnormalities, uterine abnormalities
- Medical condition (new).risks
- Being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, drug or alcohol use
Article
47 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Signs and symptoms
- Risk factors
- Trimesters
- First trimester
- Second and third trimesters
- Age
- Obesity, eating disorders and caffeine
- Endocrine disorders
- Food poisoning
- Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
- Surgery
- Medications
- Immunisations
- Treatments for cancer
- Pre-existing diseases
- Immune status
- Anatomical defects and trauma
- Smoking
- Morning sickness
- Chemicals and occupational exposure
- Other
- Diagnosis
- Ultrasound criteria
- Classification
- Prevention
- Non-modifiable risk factors
- Modifiable risk factors
- Management
- Methods
- Delayed and incomplete miscarriage
- Induced miscarriage
- Sex
- Support
- Miscarriage leave
- Outcomes
- Psychological and emotional effects
- Subsequent pregnancies
- Later cardiovascular disease
- Epidemiology
- Society and culture
- Legal registration
- Other animals
- See also
- Citations
- General and cited references
- External links
Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can survive independently. Miscarriage before six weeks of gestation is defined as biochemical loss by ESHRE. Once ultrasound or histological evidence shows that a pregnancy has existed, the term used is clinical miscarriage, which can be "early" (before 12 weeks) or "late" (between 12 and 21 weeks). Spontaneous fetal termination after 20 weeks of gestation is known as a stillbirth. The term miscarriage is sometimes used to refer to all forms of pregnancy loss and pregnancy with abortive outcomes before 20 weeks of gestation.
The most common symptom of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding, with or without pain. Tissue and clot-like material may leave the uterus and pass through and out of the vagina. Risk factors for miscarriage include being an older parent, previous miscarriage, exposure to tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems, and drug or alcohol use. About 80% of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (the first trimester). The underlying cause in about half of cases involves chromosomal abnormalities. Diagnosis of a miscarriage may involve checking to see if the cervix is open or sealed, testing blood levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and an ultrasound. Other conditions that can produce similar symptoms include an ectopic pregnancy and implantation bleeding.