Why is 12 weeks the cut off date for danger of miscarraige?

Question

What starts or stops at 12 weeks to reduce the risks?

Answer 1

Many miscarriages occur due to mother nature, if there is a problem with the embyro the pregnancy will most likely miscarry. 0 to 10 weeks, maternal hormones keep the pregnancy going hence morning sickness is worse during these weeks. At 10 weeks the placenta (After birth) takes on its role and hormone level begin to fall. Sometimes the placenta does not do its job right and the change over can cause a miscarriage. They say 12 weeks because you know by then that the placenta has fulfilled its role sucessfully this then reduces the risk of miscarriage, after the 12th week there are still risks but this is mainly due to infection.

Answer 2

It's not the cut off date - miscarriages can still happen after this point. But the risk falls significantly after 12 weeks. This is because all the major organs etc are fully formed by 12 weeks. The baby just needs to grow and fine tune after this point. If the baby doesn't develop properly in the first 12 weeks, there is a good chance that a miscarriage will occur.

Answer 3

between weeks 1 and 12 are very critical in the developement of the baby. the baby is taking form and sometimes there are things that don't form right or don't form at all causing the baby to be born with a defect or end up dying in the womb before the 3month mark. such as my daughter was born with a defect called gastroschisis because she had a hole in her abdominal wall that didn't close causing her intestines to be on the outside of her and they say that it occurs around 6 weeks of pregnancy. sometimes the make up of the baby's chromosomes are not right which causes a miscarriage before the 12th week. usually after 3 months the baby has everything it needs to survive, that doesn't mean that the dangers of miscarrying is completely gone but the chances of it happening later on is less likely. i don't know if that was helpful i am not a doctor but i do have the experience of being a mom to two little girls and i am pregnant right now iwth my third baby (a boy!) and i have done a lot of reading on that subject because of experiencing a miscarriage myself at 10 weeks and having a daughter that had complications as a baby.

Answer 4

is not 12 weeks, is at the end of your 3 month or around 14 weeks. The risk of miscarriage is less because in the first trimester very important structures are being formed and the egg is pretty much well attached to the uterus. It means now that 3 months have gone by with no problems the risks of the egg dropping are less, the cervix is well closed, and the baby is on a good way of development. It doesn't mean you cannot mc later on....but the chances are very odd.

Answer 5

Simply because most miscarriages occur in the 1st trimester. About 1 in 6 pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and most of these happen within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Miscarriage refers to the loss of a developing pregnancy up until the twentieth week of gestation.

Miscarriages fall under two categories. An isolated miscarriage refers to a single, sporadic event. Often, an isolated miscarriage occurs due to a chromosomal error in the egg or sperm. This chromosomal error is nonrecurring. If a woman endures three consecutive miscarriages, the miscarriages are considered recurring. A woman who suffers recurring miscarriages may undergo medical tests in order to discover what underlying conditions may cause her repeated miscarriages. Generally, these underlying conditions must be treated in order for the woman to successfully carry to term.

I believe this is because so many things are forming that are so vital to the baby.... after about 12 weeks it's just 'growing'.. pretty much everything the baby needs is formed- its just developing more and growing after that.

Answer 6

During the first trimester(3 months or 12 weeks) the baby is at it's most critical stage of development. It's just starting to grow, organs are starting to form, spinal cord is showing and not protected. After the 3 months the baby is not as vulnerable as it was in the first trimester due to it's organs are more formed and spinal cord is not exposed.

Answer 7

by twelve weeks the fertilised egg has turned from a clump of multiplying eggs to a baby, just a very little baby. By twelve weeks babys have everything they need, now its just a matter of spending the next 6 months getting stronger and bigger.

The placenta has grown by twelve weeks and is able to take over the work of supporting the baby, giving mum a break.

I guess the twelve week point could be seen as the date an emergant pregnancy becomes a stable pregnancy.

Answer 8

It's not really, it's just by statistics that after 12 weeks it's less likely to have one, before it's 1 in 4, I think. It's also the end of the first trimester.

Answer 9

After 12 weeks the placenta has developed and the baby lives off this. Until that point baby lives off Mothers resources. Hence why women in the first 12 weeks are always so tired and sick. After 12 weeks baby is also more formed, and the foetus is more stable.

Answer 10

1 in 3 pregnancies end in miscarriage. I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks and 14 weeks. Miscarriage can happen at anytime, but statistically it happens before 12 weeks.