One of the biggest fears while pregnant is suffering from a miscarriage. When it happens, most women go back and forth on what they could have done to prevent it. However, most times, it happens unexpectedly due to reasons that are out of anyone’s control. According to research, about 50 and 70% of first-trimester miscarriages are a result of random events caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized embryo.
Pregnancy is a delicate process, especially in its early development stages. As such, pregnant mothers have to be conscious of factors that put their pregnancy at risk. Here are some common causes of a miscarriage.
- Medical Conditions
Since the fetus relies on the mother’s health for survival, falling sick can jeopardize the pregnancy. Some chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure may trigger a miscarriage especially if they’re poorly managed. Medication can also cause miscarriage. Some of the medicine to avoid when pregnant include antibiotics, antidepressants, and anti-malarial drugs among others. Sexually transmitted diseases are another medical condition that causes miscarriages since they affect the reproductive organs.
Ensure that you’re in good health when carrying a pregnancy and stack up foods that are recommended for pregnant women such as watermelon. You should also consult your doctor if you have any pre-existing conditions so as to know how to manage them when pregnant.
- Age
The older you get, the higher your chances of suffering from a miscarriage. This is because older women are more susceptible to age-related illnesses such as high blood pressure than younger women and thus are more prone to miscarriages. However, more women are choosing to have children at a later age.
There are alternatives for older women who still want to have children such as surrogacy, IVF, and egg freezing which reduce the risk of losing a pregnancy. Here Are Some Alternative Pathways To Motherhood
- Drugs
Drugs like cigarettes, alcohol, and narcotics can jeopardize your pregnancy. Avoid indulging in any kind of drug including a glass of wine as this increases your risk of having a miscarriage, especially during the first four months. After that, you can indulge in the occasional glass of wine though it’s recommended to stay away from alcohol throughout your pregnancy. If you drink during your pregnancy your child could develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Here are the Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
- Food
Pregnant women should be conscious of what they eat as the wrong diet can cause a miscarriage. Diet plays a crucial role in pregnancy. Some foods, despite their nutritional value, can put your pregnancy at risk. As such, it’s important to be vigilant and know which foods either promote or threaten the growth of your unborn baby.
Avoid consuming caffeine, especially in concentrated levels. Pineapples and ginger can also be harmful to your unborn child as they increase body temperature. Seafood is notorious for triggering miscarriages due to its high levels of mercury.
Lifestyle: 7 Foods You Should Avoid Eating While Pregnant
- Hormonal Imbalance
Though it’s not as common as some of the other causes, some women don’t produce enough hormones needed to support the fetus. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for ovulation and menstruation. It helps develop the uterine lining and in pregnancy, it helps the placenta take hold. If it’s not enough, the fetus is unable to develop properly thus causing a miscarriage.
If your doctor suspect this is the cause of the miscarriage, they may recommend progesterone medication to boost your hormones.
Health: 10 Signs And Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalance In Women
- Sperm Quality
Sperm quality plays a crucial role not only in fertility but also in the success of a pregnancy. It’s common for the sperm to contribute to a miscarriage due to a condition known as DNA fragmentation. This happens when the sperm fails to deliver DNA strands to the egg. They can be a result of several factors such as smoking, exposure to radiation, anti-depressant medication, and substance abuse among others.
To prevent this, men should avoid things that compromise their sperm quality and up their intake of foods that boost fertility. 8 Health Benefits Of Apricots, 8 Amazing Health Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds
7. Endometriosis
The condition is slowly getting destigmatized and more women are opening up about their experiences with the disease. It affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age and though it doesn’t cause infertility, it increases the risks of suffering from a miscarriage by 80%.
You can still have a healthy pregnancy if you suffer from endometriosis by receiving treatment before getting pregnant and maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout your pregnancy.
Health: What You Should Know About Endometriosis
8. Rhesus Factor Incompatibility
You can either have a positive or a negative rhesus factor which is indicated after your blood type. For instance, blood type B+ is a rhesus factor positive. If your partner has a different rhesus factor from you, this could increase the chance of having a miscarriage. It mainly occurs when an Rh- woman conceives with a Rh+ man and the child inherits the father’s Rh+ gene. When the mother’s blood comes into contact with the child’s blood, the mother’s blood cells will see the Rh+ cells as a foreign body and attempt to get rid of them. This leads to a miscarriage or a stillbirth.
You should ensure that you know your partner’s blood type before conceiving and if you’re incompatible, let your doctor know so they can administer an Rh immune globulin injection to prevent the loss of your unborn child.
Check out How Parents Can Deal With Pregnancy And Infant Loss and What Not To Say To A Parent Who Has Had A Miscarriage Or Lost A Child
Health: Gestational Diabetes – Causes, Risk Factors And Management
