Multiple Miscarriages – Causes & Treatment?
If a woman has already had several miscarriages, it is certainly difficult not to give up hope of having a child of her own. However, with targeted research into the causes and individual treatment, the risk of further miscarriages can often be reduced. You can find out more about this here.
Unfortunately, miscarriages are not uncommon, especially in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Many women don’t even know that they are pregnant and “confuse” a miscarriage with their menstrual period. However, if the pregnancy has already been determined and a miscarriage occurs, this is a very tragic experience for the parents concerned. What pain must it mean to experience such a stroke of fate more often because there have been several miscarriages? For outsiders, this is hardly imaginable.
Repeated miscarriages – what does it mean?
Doctors speak of “repeated miscarriages” or “habitual abortions” if you have had at least three miscarriages without an initially recognizable cause. In the case of habitual abortions, a distinction is made between:
- Primary habitual abortions: The miscarriages happened consecutively, so to speak, without a pregnancy being able to be carried to term.
- Secondary habitual abortions: A pregnancy could be carried to term before or between the miscarriages.
You can also find more information about different types of miscarriages in our article “ Abortion: types and differences of a miscarriage ”.
What to do if you have multiple miscarriages
In most cases, nothing stands in the way of getting pregnant again after a miscarriage. You can find detailed information on this in our article “ Getting pregnant again after a miscarriage ”. But if you’ve already had two or three miscarriages, you should definitely get more in- depth investigations to determine the cause , especially if you’re older. You can find out more about the specific risks of a late pregnancy in our separate article.
Possible causes of recurrent miscarriages
Also against the background of the enormous psychological stress you should tackle a detailed investigation of the causes. In general, a miscarriage can of course have many reasons. You can find the most common causes and risks in our article “ Miscarriage: When the pregnancy ends early ”. In connection with repeated miscarriages, the following causes are primarily considered:
- Chromosomal disorders in you and/or your partner
- uterine malformations
- Blood clotting disorders
- hormonal disorders
- infections
- an increased rejection reaction
The chance that a clear cause will be found is about 50 to 60 percent. Often, however, several factors come together.
Treatment options for recurrent miscarriages
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the cause can be clearly clarified in your case. Of course, it also takes a little time to get to the bottom of all possible causes. The Heidelberg University Hospital, for example, assumes that it will take around two months for the comprehensive clarification of the cause as part of its special consultation hours for couples with repeated miscarriages. Nevertheless, there is a chance to reduce the risk with a therapy that is individually tailored to you. Possible treatment approaches can be, for example:
- the correction of a hormonal change
- an inhibition of blood clotting
- antibiotic and immunological treatment
- an operation for uterine malformations
In rare cases, early total cervical occlusion (FTMV) can also be considered to prevent another miscarriage. Your cervix is closed in an operation by suturing and then growing together. FTMV is usually only an option if your previous miscarriages occurred late, i.e. after the 12th week of pregnancy, and were due to infections. Closing the cervix prevents germs from rising from your vagina into the uterus and endangering the unborn child. An FTMV is performed on an inpatient basis under general or local anesthesia between the 12th and 16th week of pregnancy.
There are numerous specialists in the field, certainly in your area. Even if it is difficult for you to remain confident: Get help and try to find out the cause of your miscarriages. Because even after several miscarriages, there is a chance that your wish to have children will come true.