Miscarriage is an unintended loss of baby, which usually happens during the first trimester of pregnancy. Dealing with miscarriage can be tough on both the parents emotionally, plus it also leaves behind physical trauma for the mom-to-be. Miscarriages are fairly common occurrences, with nearly 20-30 percent of all pregnancies resulting in miscarriage; though not everyone will be aware of this, especially if it happens in very early stage. Often, chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo lead to miscarriage.
Even with all the precautions and preventions adopted, it is not possible to prevent all miscarriages, as this is the nature’s own way of managing an abnormal pregnancy. It is best to discuss with the medical practitioner about the cause for miscarriage and get the placental tissue tested for chromosomal abnormalities.
Identifying the causes is the first step in preventing miscarriage, as precautionary measures regarding the trigger can be taken accordingly.
Incompetent Cervix
In the condition known as incompetent cervix or cervical insufficiency, the cervix dilates and opens up without the pregnant women going through contractions, which may lead to miscarriage. The condition does not show any symptoms prior to miscarriage, other than occasional heaviness in pelvic region.
Precautions: If incompetent cervix is diagnosed before the miscarriage, doctors hold the cervix shut with cerclage, which is a stitch around the cervix under epidural anesthesia.
Listeria
Eating food contaminated with bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes will cause an infection known as listeriosis, which can lead to miscarriage. It is also known to cause fetal infection and preterm birth.
Precautions: Avoid packaged salads, raw food, unpasteurized cheese and partially cooked meat. In case of infection, immediate treatment with antibiotics can prevent miscarriage and infection of the fetus.
Accidents and Trauma
Safety measures are important at any point of life, but during pregnancy the importance of safety increases by many folds. Any trauma to the abdomen can lead to miscarriage and abnormality in the fetus.
Precautions: Keep the house cutler free to avoid accidental fall. Be careful when driving, bathing or using stairs.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption increases 2-4 times the risk of miscarriage directly, and indirectly it can be responsible for the accidents that happen under intoxication. Furthermore alcohol is known to cause liver disease, pneumonia and bone marrow suppression in the mom-to-be, along with fetal alcohol syndrome and prenatal toxic effects in the baby.
Precautions: There is no safe level of alcohol that can be recommended for a pregnant woman; for that reason, abstinence would be the safest measure. Considering that the fetal alcohol syndrome can cause death of the baby in some cases, it is best to avoid alcohol during pregnancy.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Women who have PCOS are prone to higher risk of miscarriage, the main cause being hormonal imbalance in the pregnant woman.
Precautions: The consulting medical practitioner will preferably treat the patient with Metformin or Glucophage which is known to reduce the risk of miscarriage. Along with this, natural healthy habits of eating good diet, moderate exercise and proper rest will go a long way in keeping the baby safe.
Environmental Toxins
The food, air and water we consume are polluted with various chemical compounds, making us all bioaccumulators of the harmful chemicals. The chemicals may include toxins, hormone mimics and hormone disrupters which can lead to miscarriage in pregnant women.
Precautions: Prevention is the best cure in this case; necessary steps should be taken to prevent exposure of the pregnant woman to environmental toxins. The skin, kidneys, liver and bowel when functioning properly will eliminate the toxins effectively. Eating organic food, wild fish, and organic meat is helpful. Filtering of drinking water clears it of toxins to a great extent.