A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy also known as a spontaneous abortion. A miscarriage is a pregnancy that ends on its own, usually during the first 10-12 weeks of the pregnancy, and up to the 20th pregnancy week. Up to 50% of all pregnancies and 20-30% of diagnosed pregnancies will end in miscarriage. The majority of miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy, shortly after implantation, that many women did not realize that they were pregnant. Many of these women didn’t even know that they were pregnant. Most miscarriages are due to a chromosomal abnormality (a damaged egg or sperm), and the older a woman is the more likely a miscarriage will happen. Only few miscarriages happen because of hormonal problems, trauma, improper implantation, exposure to toxic substances, radiation, substance abuse, or severe malnourishment.

Harmful Medications and Teratogens in Pregnancy

Which medications or drugs can be harmful and are teratogens in pregnancy? ... read more »

Bowel Movements and Miscarriage

I have very hard bowel movements, can that cause a miscarriage? ... read more »

What Happens After Ovulation?

Most people know what happens during ovulation, but what happens after ovulation is also very important when trying to get pregnant. ... read more »

What Causes Pain During Pregnancy?

Pain during pregnancy is often associated with complications or labor and can be a scary thing. However, not all pain during pregnancy signals a problem. ... read more »

'Widespread Misperceptions' of Miscarriage Revealed in Study

One in every four pregnancies ends in miscarriage but most people consider the event uncommon and most don’t know what causes it to happen, according to a recent study. ... read more »

Flu Vaccine Does Not Increase Miscarriage Risk

Each year as flu season arrives, pregnant women are urged to get a flu vaccination. With tons of media coverage and stories about vaccination risk, pregnant women often question the risks versus rewards. ... read more »

Can Fetal Heart Rate Predict a Miscarriage?

The fetal heart rate can be seen on ultrasound as early as 5 weeks 1 days of the pregnancy, and usually it's seen by 6 weeks and 0 days. ... read more »

Questions About Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

When women are trying to conceive, they often have questions regarding their chances of getting pregnant. There are several factors that come into play when it comes to getting pregnant. ... read more »

Can Stress Stop You From Getting Pregnant?

While stress has not been directly linked to infertility, the physical demands on the body during stressful situations are enough to trigger natural protective instincts. ... read more »

Ease Pain of Pregnancy Loss with Mourning Rituals

The end of a pregnancy is often kept quiet, not shared or celebrated, and rarely discussed. Zen Buddhists in Japan have a special ritual to mourn the loss of a departed child called 'mizuko kuyo.' ... read more »

Important Contacts Before Taking Maternity Leave

When you do decide to reveal your pregnancy to your employer, you need to make a list of important contacts within the company and your personal prenatal care to ensure you know whom to contact when the pregnancy nears the due date. ... read more »

Preventing the Negative Effects of Stress on Pregnancy

Stress is a mental condition that causes a very physical response. The last time you felt 'stressed' what were you really saying? Stress quickens heart rate, increases blood pressure, and decreases blood flow to extremities. The body physically prepares to fight a battle or run for extended distances. ... read more »

Miscarriage or Early Pregnancy Loss: Signs, Symptoms, and Causes

A miscarriage is a pregnancy that ends without intervention, surgery or medication, before the 20th week of pregnancy. Learn the symptoms, signs, and causes. ... read more »

Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases

An STD occurs when an infection is transmitted during sex, although it may not be exclusively during sex since some infections are transmitted through touching or kissing. ... read more »

All About Pregnancy Spotting

Pregnancy spotting is common in pregnancy, but that make it any easier to accept. During different times in gestation, pregnancy spotting can occur and the cause will be dependent on several factors. ... read more »

Think Twice About Hot Dogs During Pregnancy

Hot dogs are not nutritious and can contain a bacteria called "Listeria" which can lead to major pregnancy complications. ... read more »

Pregnancy Complications And How To Prevent Them

During regular check-ups doctors check for proper fetal growth and development, but they are also looking for symptoms that may be associated with the 10 most common pregnancy complications. ... read more »

One Baby Aspirin a Day Ups Conception Rate After Miscarriage

The findings of a 2013 study on aspirin’s effect on conception indicates taking one baby aspirin a day ups the chance of conception by as much as 17% for women who have a history of miscarriage. ... read more »

How Common Are Miscarriages? Hint: More Than You Think

Miscarriages are common events with a rate of up to 50% in all conceptions, and approximately 15-20% of confirmed pregnancies. ... read more »

Misperceptions are common about Miscarriage

This study published online in May in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal called "A National Survey on Public Perceptions of Miscarriage" asked about perceptions about miscarriage. Not surprisingly, most who answered the questionnaire have many misconceptions about miscarriage. ... read more »

Binge Drinking is a Threat to Young Girls and Women

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive consumption of alcohol accounted for 23,000 deaths each year between 2001 and 2005. ... read more »

Miscarriage Risk Increases with Sustained Stress

Multiple research studies have investigated the impact of short-term, intense stress on pregnancy, but little is known about the effect of prolonged stress like that felt by women affected by the stresses of military or political life. ... read more »

Intracranial KCI Injection for Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction

Researchers from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking University published a study in the journal Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy regarding the effectiveness of intracranial KCI injection as an alternative to intrathoracic KCI injection. ... read more »

Can I Drink Coffee When TTC or Pregnant?

There is still much to learn about the impact of coffee and caffeine on pregnancy. ... read more »

Effects of Drinking Alcohol Before and During Pregnancy

What effect can drinking alcohol before and during pregnancy have? ... read more »

Pregnancy After Miscarriage

A miscarriage is one of the hardest times a family can face. If you’ve had a miscarriage, your feeling of loss is great, and rightfully so. Miscarriages, or spontaneous abortions, only happen in 10%-25% of pregnancies. ... read more »

What is A Stillbirth?

A stillbirth is the death of a baby before or during delivery. Both miscarriage and stillbirth are terms describing pregnancy loss, but they differ according to when the loss occurs. ... read more »

Recurrent Miscarriages

A recurrent miscarriage is when you lose more than 2-3 pregnancies in a row, Most causes of miscarriages are unknown. ... read more »

Phentermine - Diet, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage

Phentermine is categorized as category C in pregnancy because it is chemically related to amphetamines, which have been shown to cause miscarriages and birth defects. ... read more »

Why is Folic Acid Important for Pregnancy?

What is folic acid and what does it do? ... read more »

Tampon use and Pregnancy

Will using a tampon hurt my pregnancy? ... read more »

Miscarriage - Chance of Recurrence

I just had a miscarriage, is there an increased risk of recurrence? ... read more »

Risk of miscarriage over 35 years old

Do women at 35+ years of age have a greater risk of miscarriage? ... read more »

Hashimoto Disease and Anti-Thyroid Antibodies

How do Hashimoto Disease and Anti-Thyroid Antibodies affect pregnancy? ... read more »

What is a Miscarriage?

A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before 23-24 weeks of pregnancy, before the fetus becomes viable. The medical term of miscarriage is a "spontaneous abortion." ... read more »

Can Bumping Abdomen Cause Miscarriage?

Can bumping against my abdomen lead to a miscarriage? ... read more »

Positive Home Pregnancy Test and Period

My home pregnancy test was positive but my period came ... read more »

Cellulite Creams During Pregnancy

Cellulite is the collection of fat under the skin. Cellulite creams mayseem like an effective and safe way to reduce the look of cellulite,but the main ingredients ' Methylxanthines ' are not considered safe touse during pregnancy. ... read more »

Preventing Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy

Clinical researchers have shown that hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and subclinical thyroid disorders have dangerous effects on pregnant women and the cerebral development of the fetus.   ... read more »

Cervical Insufficiency

Cervical insufficiency is the premature widening and thinning of the cervix. If left untreated, cervical insufficiency can lead to premature birth and miscarriage. ... read more »

First Trimester Ultrasound Scanning Before 8-10 Weeks

First trimester ultrasound scanning can diagnose many different issues during pregnancy. ... read more »

Mother’s Day During Infertility and Loss

For women suffering from infertility, Mother’s Day can be a distressing and/or heartbreaking holiday. ... read more »

Alcohol, Drug Use, Smoking, and Stress During Pregnancy

Certain stress factor can pose a problem when trying to conceive and during pregnancy. ... read more »

Is a Rollercoaster Ride Safe During Pregnancy?

When you take a roller coaster ride there are usually big signs posted everywhere: DON'T USE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT! Only you can decide whether you want to ignore this warning or not. ... read more »

All About Amniocentesis

Amniocentesis is a procedure performed during pregnancy to examine a baby's chromosomes. Most often, an amniocentesis is done between 16-20 weeks of pregnancy (gestation). ... read more »

How Long Should I Wait To Get Pregnant After a Miscarriage?

I am often asked by my patients 'How long should I wait after experiencing an early pregnancy loss or miscarriage before getting pregnant again?' ... read more »

Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome, also referred to as Hughes syndrome, is a condition of the immune system that causes blood clotting and other complications. ... read more »

Are Caffeine and Soda Safe to Consume During Pregnancy?

Are caffeine and soda safe to consume when trying to conceive and during pregnancy? How much caffeine is too much when trying to conceive and during pregnancy? ... read more »

Zuckerberg Baby Announcement Shares Hope After Miscarriage

The Zuckerberg-Chans are expecting a baby girl. In addition to the joyous news, Zuckerberg shared the couple’s pregnancy history: they’ve experienced three miscarriages. ... read more »

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