A miscarriage is a traumatic experience for expectant parents to say the least, and after the unfortunate event, it is natural to want to know the reasons for miscarriage. What happened to cause the tragic loss of the unborn child; was there anything that the parent(s) did or did not do; could it have been prevented?

Reasons for MiscarriageIn an overwhelming majority of pregnancy losses, there is nothing that can be done to prevent it, and the miscarriage occurs due to no particular act or omission on part of either parent.

Reasons for Miscarriage (Sporadic or Single Miscarriage)

It is generally accepted that chromosomal abnormalities are responsible for a one off miscarriage.

It the embryo formed is missing some chromosomes, or if it suffers from a very significant genetic abnormality, it fails to grow and progress normally and the pregnancy ends in a miscarriage.

These are random events that are accidents of nature where most couples go on to have normal pregnancies and healthy babies at the end of it.

However one of the reasons for miscarriage such as this can be said to be the age of the mother. Being over the age of 35 can very significantly increase the chances of having a miscarriage since the chances of having a chromosomal abnormality after this age are higher.

Reasons for Miscarriage (Recurrent or Repeated Miscarriage)

When a woman undergoes two or more miscarriages, the reasons for recurrent miscarriage are usually other than random or chromosomal abnormalities.

Problems with blood clotting such as the Antiphospholipid Syndrome, physical or structural problems with the uterus, or other problems could underlie such miscarriages. Hormonal imbalances, genetic problems with the parents or other medical issues could also be reasons for repeated miscarriages.

Reasons for Miscarriage in the First and Second Trimesters

About two thirds of all miscarriages are thought to take place within the first 12 weeks or the first trimester of pregnancy and are most likely due to chromosomal problems relating to the embryo or less frequently problems in the parents’ genes.

If progesterone deficiency is the cause of the miscarriage, then the miscarriage is most likely to occur during the first trimester. First trimester miscarriages are also more common among older parents.

Reasons for miscarriage in the second trimester could be due to uterine malformation, fibroids or other growths in the uterus, and cervical insufficiency or other problems with the cervix. Problems with the umbilical cord or the placenta can also result in a miscarriage in this later stage of the pregnancy.