Miscarriage is a term used to describe the loss of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks. According to statistics, about 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, and more than 80 percent of these losses happen before 12 weeks.
Below are factors that put you at a higher risk for miscarriage
1. INFECTIONS
Infections such as listeria, mumps, rubella, measles, parvovirus, gonorrhea, HIV, cytomegalovirus put you at a higher risk for miscarriage.
2. AGE
Age can also put you at a higher risk for miscarriage. According to reports, 40-year-olds are about twice as likely to miscarry as 20-year-olds. Your risk of miscarriage also rises with each child you bear.
3. OBESITY
Obesity can also put you at a higher risk for miscarriage according to several studies.
4. PATERNAL FACTORS
This might come as a surprise but studies have found that a woman is at greater risk for miscarriage when the partner has been exposed to mercury, lead, and some industrial chemicals and pesticides.
5. A HISTORY OF MISCARRIAGES
Women who have had two or more miscarriages in a row are more likely to miscarry again than other women.
6. CHRONIC DISEASES OR DISORDERS
Hormonal disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome, autoimmune disorders such as antiphospholipid syndrome or lupus, poorly controlled diabetes and certain inherited blood clotting disorders are also factors that can put a woman at a higher risk for miscarriage.
7. UTERINE OR CERVICAL PROBLEMS
Having certain congenital uterine abnormalities, severe uterine adhesions (bands of scar tissue), or a weak or abnormally short cervix (known as cervical insufficiency) can also put a woman at a higher risk for miscarriage.
8. SMOKING, DRINKING, AND USING DRUGS
If you smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs during pregnancy, you increase your chances of having a miscarriage. A 2008 study found that women who consumed 200 mg or more of caffeine a day had double the risk of miscarriage of those who took in no caffeine.
S.O.Z