The practice of abortion finds many contrary opinions, many in favor and remains controversial, even after being legalized in several countries. But when is abortion natural? When is it independent of mom's will and the pregnancy is suddenly interrupted by other factors? This is called spontaneous abortion. For one reason or another, the mother's body cannot carry the pregnancy forward, or malformations in the fetus prevent it from developing properly.
The occurrence of a miscarriage means nothing about future pregnancies. It is, in fact, a relatively common fact, ranging from 6.5% (Jansen 1982) to 21% (Warburton and Fraser 1964), according to reports by different authors.
The so-called habitual abortion is the occurrence of three or more abortions, before the 20th week of pregnancy. The frequency of this type of abortion is significantly lower, around 0.3% and 1% (Javert, 1957; Rai et al, 1996).
Causes
Some factors may influence the occurrence of habitual abortion. Among them are the age of the pregnant woman, a previous history of miscarriage without cause, the consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and coffee in large quantities, as well as psychological stress.
In addition to these so-called environmental factors, there are also some factors related to pre-existing illnesses such as diabetes, thyroid disease (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) and luteal phase problems such as anomalies in endometrial maturation caused by insufficient progesterone production. .
Some researchers also claim that the causes of habitual abortion may be related to genetic factors. There is also a considerable incidence of anatomical factors in both the mother and the forming fetus.
These include Mullerian anomalies, which are uterine malformations accounting for about 15% of second-trimester losses. The so-called cervical incompetence usually results from cervical trauma in the womb. These traumas can be caused by cervical laceration, semiotic or postabortion uterine curettage, among others. Postabortion uterine curettage may also be responsible for uterine synechiae, which are another cause of habitual abortion.
Finally, infections of various kinds and abnormalities in the maternal immune system can also be the cause of frequent pregnancy losses.
Treatment
According to the European Society for Human Reproduction, 40% to 70% of women who have a miscarriage for unknown reasons eventually develop a normal pregnancy without any treatment.
However, if the causes are diagnosed, they should be treated according to the specificity of each case. Prevention is done by avoiding exposure to harmful environmental factors, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits and trying to maintain the anxiety level for a new pregnancy under control. Thus, there is evidence that the patient will not have major problems in bringing the pregnancy to an end.
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss; Dr. Chaya Patil,Fortis Healthcare India (April 2024)
- Pregnancy
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