Miscarriage and Your Age
Unfortunately, the ratio of miscarriage increases with age because the older you are, the older your eggs are. In addition, older women tend to be more prone to hormonal imbalances that can affect their ability to carry a baby to term. Miscarriage increases more dramatically from the age of 35, which is also when fertility starts to decline more rapidly. But, if you’re in your mid-30s or older, don’t despair; Although you can’t change the quantity of eggs you have, you can definitely improve their quality by following the health recommendations.
Inherited genetic problems If you have recurrent miscarriages, you or your partner might be carrying an inherited genetic problem and should both undergo chromosome analysis (known as karyotyping) to determine if this is the cause.
Fibroids These are benign tumors that can grow anywhere in the body. When they appear in the uterus, they’re known as uterine fibroids, and their position is crucial when it comes to your likelihood of miscarrying. If you have fibroids that extend into the uterus cavity, you may have an increased likelihood of an early miscarriage. This is because the fibroids will interfere with the embryo’s ability to implant in your uterus lining. See a gynecologist to discuss having the fibroids removed.
Bacteria and viruses We come into contact with bacteria and viruses all the time; they surround us, and they frequently cause infection. Unfortunately, there are some infections (such as Chlamydia) that caught early in your pregnancy, can increase your likelihood of miscarriage. In fact, we’ve seen some women who have reported having a fever and feeling very unwell and then miscarrying. Always tell your doctor if you experienced any symptoms like this directly before your miscarriage. In the majority of cases, the link is probably a coincidence, and with any subsequent pregnancy you’re likely to be healthy and carry to term. However, if your infection is in the genitor-urinary tract, without treatment you may miscarry again.
Medication for assisted conception For many women, the fertility drug clomiphene citrate can mean the difference between conceiving and not conceiving because clomiphene triggers ovulation. Unfortunately, clomiphene can also cause your uterus lining to become thinner, making it more difficult for the embryo to attach, which in up to 30 percent of cases will cause a miscarriage.
Problems with hormones The balance of hormones in your body plays a crucial role in your ability to become pregnant. It’s also a crucial factor in the safe development of the embryo into a healthy baby. If there are imbalances in your hormones, you may be at greater risk of miscarriage. For example, your pituitary gland releases luteinizing hormone (LH), which controls the development and release of your egg at ovulation. If the levels of LH in your system are too high in the first half of your cycle (which is often the case if you suffer from PCOS), unfortunately, you’re more likely to miscarry.
Similarly, you have an increased chance of miscarriage If you have lower-than-normal levels of progesterone in your system in the early days of conception. Progesterone is the hormone that the corpus luteum (ruptured follicle) releases after it has expelled its egg – it encourages the lining of your uterus to thicken, in turn helping to maintain your pregnancy in the first delicate weeks. If your doctor tests you for low progesterone and diagnoses a problem, he or she may give you progesterone pessaries or injections in the second half of the cycle to help keep the pregnancy going.
Although you may be predisposed to hormonal irregularities, making them not entirely within your control, you can still take plenty of positive steps to encourage balance. We can’t stress how important it is to follow a good hormone-balancing diet before you try for a baby, so as to minimize the risks that hormone irregularities pose for miscarriage.
