Causes and Effects of Miscarriages

Being rich does not always mean being happy, being skinny does not always mean being healthy, and being pregnant does not always mean a baby. A spontaneous abortion, or commonly known as a miscarriage is a loss of an embryo or fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. One in five of all pregnancies result in a miscarriage. All women do not notice they are miscarrying; therefore, do not seek medical help when it occurs. There are multiple causes of a miscarriage and the effects are saddening.

There are multiple types of miscarriages. A threatened miscarriage is when bleeding from the uterus is occurring, but the fetus is alive and the cervix is closed. This type of miscarriage, along with an inevitable miscarriage occurs prior to 20 weeks of pregnancy. During an inevitable miscarriage, the cervix is open, but the placenta and the fetus have not ventured out of the woman (Miscarriage 1). In an incomplete miscarriage, only a portion of the placenta or fetus has escaped the uterus, while part is still inside. On the contrary, all of the placenta or fetus has descended during a complete miscarriage. Another type, called missed abortions are defined as when the fetus has died prior to 20 weeks. Neither the placenta nor fetus has been ejected from the uterus. All types of miscarriages have similar causes and effects.

A woman’s pregnancy may result in a miscarriage for a number of reasons. More than half of the miscarriages that occur are caused by chromosomal abnormalities or birth defects that are formed in the first eight weeks of the pregnancy (Turkington 2). These abnormalities give the baby zero chance at living. The mother may have no control over these happening to her body.

Another typical cause of a spontaneous abortion is a...

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...or how many children you’ve previously had, has an equal opportunity to have a miscarriage. This also shows the positive effects of coping after the tragedy. The story of how Noelle Pikus-Pace conquered a miscarriage should inspire all women who have experienced this misfortune.

A miscarriage does not prevent a woman from having a healthy baby in the future. In fact, 90% of women who have a miscarriage subsequently have a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby the next try. Also, 60% of women who have two miscarriages deliver a healthy baby. Finally, even women having three miscarriages in a row show a 50% chance of a successful pregnancy and birth for the fourth try. Women should never lose hope for having a baby after producing a miscarriage. They should admire the philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”