MISCARRIAGE
Miscarriage is a term used for a pregnancy that ends on its own, within the first 20 weeks of gestation.
Most miscarriages occur during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy can be such an exciting time, but with the great number of recognized miscarriages that occur, it is beneficial to be informed about miscarriage.
Causes
The reason for miscarriage is varied, and most often the cause cannot be identified. During the first trimester, the most common cause of miscarriage is chromosomal abnormality – meaning that something is not correct with the baby’s chromosomes.
Symptoms
If you experience any or all of these symptoms, it is important to contact your health care provider or a medical facility to evaluate if you could be having a miscarriage:
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Mild to severe back pain
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Weight loss
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White-pink mucus
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True contractions
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Brown or bright red bleeding with or without cramps
Risk factors
The following factors can increase the risk
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Malnutrition
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Exposure to radiation or toxic substances
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Implantation of the egg into the uterine lining does not occur properly
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Maternal age
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Maternal trauma
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Obesity
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Smoking during pregnancy
Prevention
Since the cause of most miscarriages is due to chromosomal abnormalities, it's not usually possible to prevent a miscarriage but one can employ some ways to reduce the risk. One vital step is to get as healthy as you can before conceiving to provide a healthy atmosphere for conception to occur.
Treatment
The main goal of treatment during or after a miscarriage is to prevent haemorrhaging and/or infection. The earlier you are in the pregnancy, the more likely that your body will expel all the fetal tissue by itself and will not require further medical procedures. If the body does not expel all the tissue, the most common procedure performed to stop bleeding and prevent infection is a dilation and curettage, known as a D&C. Drugs may be prescribed to help control bleeding after the D&C is performed.
Culled from Staywellworld blog post dated January 07, 2017.
To learn more, click on
https://www.staywellworld.org/post/2017/01/07/what-you-need-to-know-about-miscarriage