Miscarriage: Frequently trivialised, seriously morbid
Summary Miscarriage, trivialised by many as the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy that occurs before the fetus can survive outside the uterus, is not a minor issue. Technically, the limit of viability is set at the 24th week of gestation, but this is subject to change in line with developments in neonatal care. Miscarriages have been described as early (under 12 weeks of gestation) or late (13-24 weeks of gestation). Recurrent miscarriage is defined as the occurrence of 3 or more consecutive miscarriages in some texts and as 2 or more miscarriages, consecutive or not, in others. Regardless, it affects 1% of women of reproductive age. Verification of diagnosis, using ultrasound, may be tricky at times and it is better to take the approach of being 'safe than sorry'. Miscarriage vs Abortion Aroound a quarter of women who miss a period and have a positive pregnancy test end up with a pregnancy loss. Perhpas more pregnancies are lost as in the absence of testing it is not possible t...