Have you experienced the most devastating event in your life- a miscarriage? For those couples who have experienced it know how traumatic it is. Along with the devastating experience comes the depression, anger, feeling of losing something precious, and other emotional repercussions. A feeling of helplessness envelops you when you don’t know the reason why it happened and when you lose something very dear to you.
Read More: 31 Miscarriage Foods to Avoid During Early Pregnancy
11 Common Causes for Miscarriage
Although very painful, miscarriage has become a very common scenario among married couples. Research suggests that about 25 percent of pregnancies before 20 weeks experience a miscarriage. Unfortunately most people do not talk about it and feel guilty over something that is out of their control. One of the most difficult aspects in dealing with miscarriage is the complete ignorance of what cause it.
Read More: 11 Tips to Prevent Miscarriage
Listed below are some of the common causes of miscarriage
1. Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid disorders are mainly of two types-hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Both of these disorders can cause infertility and miscarriage if untreated. When a woman’s thyroid function is disbalanced the body tries to compensate by producing hormones that can suppress the process of ovulation. It also interferes with the hormone estrogen and makes the uterus incapable of implantation. It can also cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage before 11 weeks.
2. Chromosomal abnormalities
One of the most common and proven reasons for miscarriage is chromosomal abnormalities. Most chromosomal abnormalities happen when there is a problem with the sperm or egg’s chromosomes during embryo formation.
3. Physical complications
Although less known, physical complications can be one of the common reasons to cause miscarriage. Physical problems within the woman like polyps, cervical incompetency, and septum can cause miscarriage within 20 weeks.
4. Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalances is one of the most neglected reasons for miscarriage. Low progesterone levels in the luteal phase of menstrual cycle causes problems with implantation of the embryo. Women suffering from this condition have blood spotting in the 2nd phase of the cycle before period and experience a miscarriage.
5. Sperm DNA Fragmentation
Although not well known to many people, this can be a common cause for miscarriage in women. This condition is called Sperm DNA Fragmentation. This occurs when after fertilisation the strands of the sperm DNA are broken and are unable to deliver the DNA strands to the egg. Very few people are aware of the fact that the male sperm can be a common reason for miscarriage. There are several reasons for Sperm DNA Fragmentation some of which include smoking, substance use, radiation, chemotherapy, use of anti-depressants, and enlargement of veins.
6. Abnormalities in the Uterus
Another main reason for miscarriage in women is due to abnormalities of the uterus. There are many types of abnormalities like septum and fibroids that cause miscarriage. A septum is an extra tissue that grows in the uterus and doesn’t have same blood supply as other tissues in the body. This prevents the proper implantation of the embryo.
The other type of abnormality is fibroids. Fibroids are benign tumors that occur in the uterine cavity and cause miscarriage. Fibroids also decrease the chances of conception and also impacts couples who are trying for Invitro fertilization.
7. Infections
The infection that affects the uterine cavity are called mycoplasma infections. These typically have no symptoms and cause miscarriage without any sign. Mycoplasma infections occurs due to variations in the normal flora of the baby. It causes sudden fluctuations in acidity which lead to bacterial overgrowth. Other common type of infections that cause miscarriage include mumps, gonorrhoea, measles, rubella, listeria, parovirus, and chlamydia.
8. Toxins and Drugs
Toxins such as tobacco, smoking, alcohol, and other usage of drugs can increase the risk of miscarriage. Toxic chemicals like bisphenol, automobile smoke, and burning of plastic cause miscarriage and affect the future chances of fertility in women.
9. Anti-phospholipid Syndrome
One of the rarest causes of miscarriage is the anti-phospholipid syndrome. It occurs mainly due to a group of disorders called “thrombophilias”. It can either be inherited or acquired. A common type of thrombophilias is the anti-phospholipid syndrome. In this condition there is an elevation of the anti-phospholipid antibodies that make the blood clot and interrupts the implantation and growth of embryo. Most women are not aware that they have this problem until they are screened after a miscarriage.
10. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Majority of the women suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and it is the most common cause for a miscarriage. The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an ovarian disorder where women have very high levels of testosterone which in turn causes irregular menstruation and ovulation. In some cases, multiple ova is released out of which none is capable for fertilization.
11. Diabetes
It is mainly uncontrolled diabetes that leads to a miscarriage. Women having high blood sugar levels in diabetes generally develop insulin resistance. Insulin resistance prevents the endometrium of the uterus to mature properly thus becoming incapable for the implantation of the embryo.
In pregnancy, bleeding and a little spotting is normal. However, if you experience severe back pain, lower abdominal pain and menstrual like cramps in the first 12 weeks, then you may be suffering a miscarriage. In many women, lifestyle habits can be the major cause for miscarriage. It is advised, that women planning to conceive must undergo a proper medical exam before getting pregnant. A proper medical screening checks and ensures that there is no prevalent condition that can cause a risk of miscarriage.
Nevertheless, if you have unfortunately had a miscarriage, there is nothing that you can do about it. Keep yourself mentally and physically strong to cope up with the devastating loss. Get a medical examination done post miscarriage and take medical treatments if required. Exercise extreme caution the next time you conceive and get pregnant. Pregnancy is every woman’s dream and motherhood is a wonderful experience.
Read More: 11 Must Know Early Signs of Miscarriage
References
http://www.webmd.com/baby/understanding-miscarriage-basics#1-2
http://www.healthline.com/health/miscarriage
