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How do I Avoid Miscarriage?

Tara Barnett
Tara Barnett

There is no absolutely guaranteed way to avoid miscarriage. Miscarriage is a spontaneous event that can be caused by any number of unavoidable factors, from genetic issues to uterine malformations. Sometimes, the loss of the fetus cannot be predicted or controlled. There are, however, a number of other factors that are known to cause an increased risk of miscarriage, and close attention to these activities can help parents avoid miscarriage.

Strenuous exercise other than swimming when performed early in the pregnancy is known to increase the risk of miscarriage. Caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol in excess are all thought to pose an increased risk, too. Many drugs, including antidepressants and cocaine, have been linked to spontaneous abortions. Abstaining from these risky activities can help avoid miscarriage.

Smoking is thought to increase the risk of miscarriage.
Smoking is thought to increase the risk of miscarriage.

Certain illnesses are also linked to an increased rate of spontaneous abortion, but it may not be within the mother's power to do anything about these disorders. Untreated diabetes can cause miscarriages, but well-managed diabetes is very safe, so it is important to keep an eye out for any symptoms during pregnancy. Hormone imbalances can cause miscarriages, but these can almost always be resolved by a doctor.

Some women are re-vaccinated for measles in order to prevent miscarriages.
Some women are re-vaccinated for measles in order to prevent miscarriages.

High blood pressure and polycystic ovarian syndrome are both linked to loss of the fetus, and can both be treated with some success. Other diseases, such as rubella, chlamydia, herpes, and lupus, cannot usually be resolved in a way that decreases the risk to the pregnancy, and so mothers with risky conditions such as these must be particularly careful to look for signs of miscarriage.

Problems such as stress can lead to a miscarriage. Very serious trauma, such as being hit or getting in a car accident, are also causes. For these reasons, it is important to be emotionally and physically cautious during pregnancy.

In most cases, a miscarriage is considered unpreventable.
In most cases, a miscarriage is considered unpreventable.

If it is essential to avoid miscarriage for health or psychological reasons, it might be advisable to avoid pregnancy altogether. Many people are at a heightened risk for miscarriage due to age or family history. Sometimes, increased risk will be identified by a demonstrated inability to carry a pregnancy to term. If miscarriage poses a serious risk to the mother, alternate family building strategies might be a better choice.

Stress can lead to miscarriage.
Stress can lead to miscarriage.

It may be possible for a doctor to estimate the risk of miscarriage and prescribe additional precautions based on the individual factors. It may also be possible to stop a spontaneous abortion from occurring if the symptoms are identified quickly enough. Once bleeding starts, it is almost certainly too late to save the fetus. Being aware of the risk factors and having a plan for dealing with complications are really the best ways to avoid miscarriage. Unfortunately, this is a medical problem that cannot always be avoided.

Discussion Comments

aplenty

@ Babalaas- I wonder if the rate of miscarriage has increased and decreased with the level of environmental contaminants. I would be curious to know what type of role a person's surroundings play in the rate of early miscarriage in pregnant women.

My fiancée did everything right during her second pregnancy (more so than her first), but she miscarried. During her first pregnancy, we moved cross-country, got in a car accident, went to concerts and shows, and lived high stress lives. Our daughter was born and she is becoming the smartest and healthiest kid around. The only difference between the first trimester of the two pregnancies is that we live in Phoenix now (lots of water and air pollution), and we lived in Vermont during her first pregnancy (nothing but blue skies and spring water). We are both in our mid-twenties, and we are healthy active individuals.

I am an environmental scientist studying Sustainability, so maybe it is just the scientists in me that thinks this way, but I would like to know what type of effect environment has on a pregnancy. All I could think when it happened was about the movie Children of Men where the world had become so degraded that people could not become pregnant anymore.

Babalaas

@ ValleyFiah- Surprisingly a miscarriage during pregnancy is very common. I was reading a statistic that about 25% of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most occur in the first trimester, and they often occur for a reason. They can be because of a genetic or chromosomal disorder, stress, toxic substances, or trauma. It is the body's way of ensuring that the fittest offspring is born. When they occur, you need to tell yourself that it was for the better.

I personally would not try to prevent a miscarriage because if the body is rejecting the pregnancy then something must be wrong. Millions of years of evolution can't be wrong. To me, this is the only way that you can look at it and feel okay. In my mind, it is better to miscarry than to have a baby born with severe problems that will only cause misery in its life.

ValleyFiah

To be honest, miscarriage signs usually do not occur until a miscarriage has happened and the body has begun to reject the fetus. My wife has been an emotional train wreck for the last ten days because she had a miscarriage the day after Christmas. By the time there were any symptoms, it was confirmed that the fetus had already ceased to develop. She thought she was about thirteen weeks pregnant when the miscarriage happened so it was pretty late into the first trimester.

It was one of the saddest things ever. She practically went into a light labor for a night, and I had to explain to my two-year-old why her mother was in pain and so upset. At her last appointment, the doctor said that the fetus had died at about seven weeks or so. My wife simply thought her morning sickness symptoms were going away, but it turned out to be otherwise. A miscarriage is what it is, but by the time you realize what is going on, it’s usually too late.

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    • Smoking is thought to increase the risk of miscarriage.
      By: Oleg Zinkovetsky
      Smoking is thought to increase the risk of miscarriage.
    • Some women are re-vaccinated for measles in order to prevent miscarriages.
      By: Attila Németh
      Some women are re-vaccinated for measles in order to prevent miscarriages.
    • In most cases, a miscarriage is considered unpreventable.
      By: olesiabilkei
      In most cases, a miscarriage is considered unpreventable.
    • Stress can lead to miscarriage.
      By: Monkey Business
      Stress can lead to miscarriage.