Note: This website has been put together by a group of IVF warriors with no medical background. None of the information should be relied on as medical or legal advice, and you should always seek professional advice before making any decisions.

What is a miscarriage?

Why do we miscarry?

A miscarriage is a spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week and is often a naturally occurring event.

​A majority of miscarriages occur before the 12th week of pregnancy and maybe because of various reasons.

Some reasons for a miscarriage are :

Abnormal genes or chromosomes

Most miscarriages occur because a fetus is not developing normally. In about 50% of miscarriages, it is found that there is a missing or an extra chromosome found in the fetus, resulting in the loss. Most often, this missing or extra chromosome occurs by chance when an embryo divides and grows, and is not because of problems inherited by either parent.

Health Conditions

Certain maternal health conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or autoimmune diseases; Infections such as Rubella or Chickenpox; Hormonal problems such as low blood progesterone (hormonal) levels during an early pregnancy or even uterus and cervix problems may also be a cause for a miscarriage.

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Lifestyle

Environmental or lifestyle factors such as excessive smoking, inhaling of secondhand smoke, alcohol drinking, drug use, and exposure to high levels of lead, pesticides, or mercury are also high factors for miscarriage.

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Age

Age plays a major part because it has been found that women older than the age of 35 have a higher risk of miscarriage than younger women. At age 35, there is about a 20 percent risk, at age 40, the risk is about 40 percent, and at the age of 45, the risk of miscarriage is about 80 percent. The older the woman is, the more vulnerable the pregnancy is, because eggs stored in the ovaries are vulnerable to damage over time.

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