How common are miscarriages?

Question

I am 5.5 weeks pregnant and this is my first pregnancy. I am in my mid 20's and healthy. We really want this baby and it took one cycle to conceive.

I have been going to internet forums for women trying to conceive and forums for already pregnant women. I have been reading a lot of posts from women who have infertility, miscarriages, stilbirths and many with multiple miscarriages.

Is this common or am I going to forums for women who have fertility issues?

I am really scared now from reading forums with miscarriages!!

Answer 1

There are two statistics to answer your question regarding how often miscarriages occur. As far as we are able to determine, it can be approximated that in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, the miscarriage rate is about 10-15 per cent of a clinically recognizable pregnancy. Often a woman may not know that she is pregnant, and after being slightly late for her period, get a heavier than usual menstrual cycle. This is often not recognized as a miscarriage but instead just a late, heavy period. That's why in the earliest part of pregnancy it is difficult to quantify actual percentages of miscarriages.

The second statistic is that if a live, appropriately grown fetus is present at 8 weeks gestation, the fetal loss rate (miscarriage) over the next 20 weeks (up to 28 weeks) is about 3 percent.
Even now, there is still much confusion about the various causes of miscarriage. Some documented causes of miscarriage include infections such as rubella and syphillis; environmental factors such as exposure to extreme radiation; maternal smoking and alcohol consumption. Women who smoke 20 cigarettes daily and consume more than seven standard alcoholic drinks per week have a fourfold increase in their risk of miscarriage.

There are medical disorders which may be connected to an increased risk of miscarriage. Three which are supposedly linked are diabetes, hypothyroidism and systemic lupus erythematous. In addition, women who are over 40 years old have a 10 percent chance of miscarriage, in comparison to a 2 percent chance in someone less than 30 years old. The uterus of the woman being misshapen or the cervix being incompetent may also increase the chances of miscarriage. Finally, the most common cause of miscarriage is a significant genetic abnormality of the fetus. In miscarriages in the first trimester, approximately two thirds have significant chromosomal anomalies, with about half of these being Down's Syndrome. This is not an inherited trait from the mother or the father; it is usually one single nonrecurring event.

Sometimes when a pregnancy occurs, there is an empty yolk sac seen on ultrasound -- this is called an "anembryonic pregnancy" or a "blighted ovum." Interestingly, this type of pregnancy normally will miscarry itself, as well as documented pregnancies (by ultrasound) which are grossly genetically or morphologically abnormal. This would lead us to believe that somehow nature has a way of identifying some of its major, nonsurvivable mistakes and causes them to be miscarried.

Answer 2

First of all, relax. Congratulations on your pregnancy! It would be a good idea to ignore all the chatter you're seeing on forums. Of course some women have miscarriages but it doesn't mean that you will. Stress is not good for you or your baby, so unless you feel you have a real reason for being concerned, just avoid those forums. And if you do have a real reason for being concerned, talk to you doctor. In fact, a visit to the doctor may be just what you need to calm your fears. He or she can tell you how things are going with an ultrasound. You should be able to get one by 6 weeks.

Good luck and try not to let other people's stories frighten you too much!

Answer 3

"Determining the prevalence of miscarriage is difficult. Many miscarriages happen very early in the pregnancy, before a woman may know she is pregnant. Treatment of women with miscarriage at home means medical statistics on miscarriage miss many cases. While one study found a total miscarriage of 12%,[1] a study using very sensitive early pregnancy tests found that 25% of pregnancies are miscarried by the sixth week LMP.[2] After the age of 35, the risk of miscarriage increases considerably: 1 in 5 or 6. After 40, the risk increases to 1 in 3, and after 45 it is 1 in 2"

Answer 4

1 IN 5

Answer 5

Miscarriages have been reported to occur in about 20 percent of all pregnancies. However, some professionals believe these statistics are inaccurate. Many women, before discovering a life has begun developing inside them, can unknowingly have a miscarriage resulting in a heavier period, thus bringing the miscarriage rate closer to 40 to 50 percent.

Answer 6

Believe it or not but misscarriages are more common than you think. Infact many women have miscarriages before they even realize they are pregnant.

I would just relax and try to enjoy your pregnancy. Just remember if you do happen to have a miscarriage then it just wasn't meant to be and you can try again next time.

But also don't worry to much what you read on these websites. I have learned the more you read the more nervous you get. So don't get all worked up

Answer 7

15-25% of pregnancies end in miscarriages. I'm almost 8 weeks pregnant. And scared. But be happy for now.(: don't worry about it

Answer 8

Miscarriages are fairly common, though most occur before the woman even knows she's pregnant. So long as you're listening to your doctor and leading a healthy lifestyle, there's no reason for you to be concerned at this point.

Answer 9

First of all settle down, your hormones are probably blowing things way out of proportion. It's true that some women do have problems conceiving and carrying babies. But it sounds like you are young and healthy and have every reason to expect an uneventful, happy pregnancy and delivery. My advice to you is to stop reading boards and pick up a copy of What to expect while you're expecting. Best of luck to you and congratulations!

Answer 10

actually, about 1 in 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Most of these are very early, before the woman even knows she is pregnant.