Miscarriage Topic Guide

Miscarriage: A miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a pregnancy that spontaneously ends before the fetus can survive. There are classifications of miscarriage that include

• threatened,
• inevitable,
• incomplete, and
• complete miscarriage.

There are a variety of causes of a miscarriage. Causes of miscarriage include

• defective genes of the fetus,
• chronic illness, including diabetes, severe high blood pressure, kidney disease, lupus, and underactive or overactive thyroid gland,
• acute infections, including Germany measles, CMV, and mycoplasma (walking pneumonia),
• diseases and abnormalities of the internal female organs, and
• other factors, including certain drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine.

Symptoms of a miscarriage are

• vaginal bleeding,
• abdominal pain, and
• cramping.

If a woman thinks she may be having a miscarriage, she should seek medical care with her doctor or go to an emergency department.