MISCARRIAGE: SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS AND PREVENTION

MISCARRIAGE: SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS AND PREVENTION

What is miscarriage? Miscarriage is the natural death of a fetus before it is viable, usually in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy medically termed. spontaneous abortion miscarriage is one of the most common pregnancy-related issues as per estimation about 15% to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies end up in miscarriages. 

Although it is common, it can be an extremely traumatic and devastating experience many women may even have a miscarriage before they know they are pregnant or before it has been confirmed by a healthcare provider in women who are under the age of 35 then the risk is about 10% while in those over the age of 40 the risk is about 45%. Most women who have a miscarriage go on to have healthy pregnancies after a miscarriage. 

After one miscarriage the predicted risk of miscarriage in a future pregnancy is usually about 14%, the predicted risk increases to about 26% after two miscarriages and after three miscarriages it increases to about 28%. 

Types of miscarriages are: 

• Threatened miscarriage: the woman may experience signs of miscarriage such as bleeding with a lower back ache but the loss of pregnancy has not yet occurred. 
• Incomplete miscarriage: some of the pregnancy's tissue has been expelled from the uterus but some remain. 
• Complete miscarriage: where all of the tissue from the pregnancy are expelled from the body. 
• Missed miscarriage: where the embryo dies but the body does not expel the pregnancy tissue and no symptoms such as bleeding or pain are experienced. 
• Recurrent miscarriage: it is the occurrence of multiple consents of miscarriages
• Septic miscarriage: where tissues from a missed or incomplete miscarriage become infected. 

Causes of miscarriage: Most women blame themselves for miscarriage but most miscarriage happens for reasons that are beyond control. in most cases, there is no way to prevent a miscarriage and nothing done right would have stopped it. Miscarriage can happen for various reasons including an abnormal placenta development that interrupts the flow of blood from the mother to the baby. 

• Chromosomal abnormalities: In the baby, about 50% of miscarriages are due to chromosomes. 
• Weakened cervix. 
• Abnormally shaped womb. 
• Poor diet or malnutrition food poisoning. 
• Certain medications. 
• Uterine abnormalities. 
• Underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, HIV, malaria, gonorrhea, syphilis, thyroid gland problem, and lupus. 

Risk factors for miscarriage include the following:

• Obesity. 
• Older maternal age  
• Previous miscarriage  
• Illicit drug use  
• Alcohol abuse
• Smoking  
• Being underweight  
• Exposure to workplace hazards such as radiation or toxic agents
• Caffeine

Symptoms: 

• Vaginal bleeding  
• Lower abdominal cramps  
• Spotting  
• Pelvic pain
• Lower back pain  
• Uterine contraction vagina discharge that looks mucousy and has a white pinkish color  
• The disappearance of pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and breast tenderness  
• Weight loss  

Diagnosis: 

The following test is used to diagnose miscarriage: 

•  Transvaginal ultrasound is placed into the vagina to check for the heartbeat of the embryo or fetus. This is done in the case of blood loss, pain, or both blood  
• Test to check hormones that are associated with pregnancy  
• A pelvic exam to assess the cervix for thinning or any opening 

Prevention: Most miscarriages cannot be prevented but precautions can be taken to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy. 

These include: 

• Alcohol drugs and smoking cessation during pregnancy  
• Maintaining a healthy weight before and after pregnancy  
• Eating a healthy well-balanced diet with plenty of folic and calcium 
• Taking prenatal vitamins daily  
• Limit caffeine intake  
• Attending all scheduled prenatal appointments as well as discussing all concerns with the doctor  
• Immunization against communicable diseases  
• Lighter regular exercise to increase fetal health