A missed miscarriage, or delayed miscarriage, happens when there have been no outward signs that the pregnancy has ended, although the foetus has died or failed to develop.
'I went to an antenatal appointment. We'd gone through the whole antenatal routine as normal. As we were leaving I said I wouldn't mind just hearing the heartbeat. I felt absolutely fantastic and I was so sure I was pregnant. My clothes were getting too small. I went in there thinking, "Hear the heartbeat. then walk out of here," but there wasn't a heartbeat.' Alison, 38
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| Increased Fertility After Miscarriage |
Blighted ovum
A blighted ovum is a fertilized egg that has stopped developing. There is a pregnancy sac, but no foetus inside and this can be diagnosed by ultrasound scan. The medical term for this is an anembryonic pregnancy.
'I was at work when I started pouring blood. They called an ambulance and at the hospital they did a routine blood test when I gave a urine sample. They told me I was pregnant and I was having a miscarriage. I didn't actually know I was pregnant so it was extremely traumatic. I had a scan and I could see something on the screen. It was a blighted ovum, so just the sac was there but nothing in it.' Emma, 33
Hydatiform mole
This is a rare condition that occurs when placental tissue grows despite the fact that there is no foetus. Around one in every 1,200 pregnancies is affected by this condition. With a 'complete mole', the mother's egg has no nucleus so a foetus cannot develop, whereas a 'partial mole' occurs when an egg is fertilized by two sperm, which means it has too many chromosomes and cannot grow. With both types of molar pregnancy, large quantities of the pregnancy hormone are produced, so women are often very sick. If a molar pregnancy is diagnosed, it is usually removed under general anesthetic.
What causes a pregnancy to miscarry?
For the majority of women who miscarry, there will be no clear cause. Although we know some of the conditions that may lead to pregnancy loss, most women will not know which, if any, of these may be responsible. Early pregnancy loss is a common occurrence, and generally women are not offered any kind of investigation or follow-up unless they have experienced recurrent miscarriage. For many women not knowing why they lost their baby is not only frustrating, but also the cause of future anxiety.
'I had a lot of guilt about the miscarriage. I picked apart every second of every day that I was pregnant and thought about what I'd done. What had I done wrong? I said that to the doctor, and she said there's absolutely nothing. In some ways I would rather someone had said,"On this day you did this, and it was the cause." I can't do anything to prevent it happening again, and that is really scary.' Clare, 34
There are some problems that we know can lead to miscarriage. The most common cause is some kind of chromosome abnormality in the fertilized egg. This is believed to be responsible for up to half of all miscarriages, and is more common among older mothers. Women who have hormonal problems, polycystic ovary syndrome or endometriosis also have a higher risk of miscarriage. Some women have antibodies that react against the body's own tissues or cause blood clots, or abnormalities of the immune system, which can cause miscarriage. Infections may also sometimes be to blame, such as uterine or vaginal infections or listeria.
An incompetent cervix can be a cause of miscarriage during the middle months of pregnancy. This rather odd term means that the cervix, which usually remains closed until labor, is not strong enough to hold the pregnancy. Eventually the cervix dilates under the pressure of the growing baby, and the pregnancy is lost. If this is suspected, it is possible to put a stitch in the cervix during early pregnancy, which holds it shut.
Although it is rare, some women have an unusually shaped womb where there may not be room for the baby to develop properly as it gets bigger. This may cause a pregnancy to end in miscarriage. Women who smoke are more likely to miscarry than non-smokers, and older women are at greater risk. To find out more, you can check out Increased Fertility After Miscarriage.
