Miscarriage Percentage – What is the Actual Numbers?

The real miscarriage percentage is really quite high, but often it happens so early in the pregnancy that the woman doesn’t even know she was pregnant. Statistics tell us that half of all fertilized eggs are miscarried before the woman is aware she is pregnant.

Natural loss of the pregnancy is common, but around 87% of women who miscarry will go on to deliver a full-term, healthy baby in the future. Clinical studies indicate that approximately 15% of pregnancies of four to twenty weeks gestation will be subject to spontaneous abortion, the clinical name for a miscarriage.

Studies also show that women have a 30% to 45% chance of suffering another loss after having had three consecutive miscarriages. Recurrent miscarriage is considered to be 3 or more consecutive, and the chance of a successful pregnancy for women who have had recurrent miscarriages is 55% to 60%. These percentages are based on the results of studies involving younger women.

Age is an important factor in miscarriage percentage. 52% of women aged 45 and over face the risk of miscarriage, while just 12% of women in their twenties have the same risk. The average percentage for miscarriage, in pregnancies that have been clinically verified, is 15%. Recurring miscarriages are actually fairly rare, and account for around just 1% of confirmed pregnancies.

The exact cause of a miscarriage is often unable to be determined, but there are certain conditions, like bacterial vaginal infections, pelvic inflammatory disease and sexually transmitted diseases, which increase the risk of miscarriage. One field of thought is that, at the time of conception, there is a problem with the crossover of genes, but there is no explanation for this and no one knows how to prevent it. Chance appears to play a part in miscarriage, and usually there is nothing that could have been done to prevent it.

Many of the known risk factors for miscarriage can be treated successfully. Low progesterone levels can be treated with hormone therapy; medication can help with antibody or blood clotting problems, for example. So even if you have one of the risk factors involved in miscarriage, there is possibly a treatment for it that will allow you to have a successful full-term pregnancy.

When a miscarriage has been diagnosed, the doctor will often recommend a surgical curettage to reduce the risk of gynecological infection. This procedure basically ensures that no abnormal tissue is left behind in the uterus, which could impact on future pregnancies. Sometimes medication is given to assist in cleaning out the uterus, instead of using the surgical procedure. The medications used are mainly antiprogesterone, mifepristone or prostaglandin drugs, but no conclusive trials have been conducted to compare the different drug regimens.

Some people believe that boosting the immune system prior to pregnancy is one way to help prevent a miscarriage. Others believe that bed rest in the first twelve weeks of the pregnancy will help the pregnancy hold, but there is no scientific evidence that supports either the cause or the prevention of miscarriage.

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