Your risk for a miscarriage
IT is said that there’s a peak season for pregnancies — December to January — and births spike in September. But there’s also a peak season for miscarriages, which many women fear.
Dr Ryan Halsall, obstetrician and gynaecologist, said the incidence of miscarriages here in Jamaica is not much different than it is worldwide.
“During Christmastime here there is a rise in pregnancy rates, and as such the ‘peak season’ for miscarriages occurs between late January to March,” Dr Halsall said.
Dr Halsall said miscarriages are essentially spontaneous pregnancy losses before 20 weeks’ or five months’ gestation.
“The vast majority occur within the first three months. They’re more common than one would think, as up to one in five pregnancies worldwide end up this way,” Dr Halsall said.
And he explained that most miscarriages have little to do with the mothers, as over 80 per cent of them are as a result of an abnormally developing baby.
“They are nature’s accidents, so to speak. It’s nature’s way of preventing the production of abnormal babies,” Dr Halsall said.
However, oftentimes miscarriages are recurrent and Dr Halsall explained that with these, there are certain risk factors.
These include:
1. Age
“Women over 40 have nearly double the incidence of miscarriages and for women over 45 the majority of pregnancies may well end up as miscarriages,” Dr Halsall said.
2. Chronic illness
Dr Halsall said diabetes, especially if uncontrolled, is associated with higher miscarriage rates. He said the same goes for patients with lupus and sickle cell anaemia.
3. Weight
According to Dr Halsall, being either underweight or overweight puts you at greater risk of miscarrying.
4. Drug and substance abuse
“Smoking, alcohol consumption and use of illegal drugs increase your risk of having a miscarriage,” Dr Halsall said.
5. Cervical or uterine problems
According to Dr Halsall, the so-called “low womb” is essentially a weakness of the cervix, which usually leads to recurrent painless miscarriages after three months.
6. Previous miscarriages
“One miscarriage is “allowed” as an accident of nature,” Dr Halsall said. But if you have had two or more miscarriages, he said you are at an increased risk of having even more.
Dr Halsall added that other less common risk factors include infections, radiation exposure, some medications and even extreme and long-standing stress. He said prevention of recurrence is possible if a cause is identified and treated.
“Any woman with two or more miscarriages in the past should consult her OBGYN prior to trying to conceive again in order to get a full check-up,” he said.
–KIMBERLEY HIBBERT
