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Concept
Recurrent miscarriage
Summary
Recurrent miscarriage or recurrent pregnancy loss is three or more consecutive pregnancy losses. In contrast, infertility is the inability to conceive. In many cases the cause of RPL is unknown. After three or more losses, a thorough evaluation is recommended by American Society of Reproductive Medicine. While accurate figures are not available, it has been estimated that anywhere between 1% and 5% of couples trying to have children are affected by recurrent miscarriage.
There are various causes for recurrent miscarriage, and some can be treated. Some couples never have a cause identified, often after extensive investigations. About 50–75% of cases of recurrent miscarriage are unexplained.
A balanced translocation or Robertsonian translocation in one of the partners leads to unviable fetuses that are miscarried. This explains why a karyogram is often performed in both partners if a woman has experienced repeated miscarriages.
Aneuploidy may be a cause of a random spontaneous as well as recurrent pregnancy loss. Aneuploidy is more common with advanced reproductive age reflecting decreased germ cell quality.
Larger chromosomal disorders are generally detected on karyotype. In couples where a miscarried embryo has an abnormal karyotype, 76% of subsequent miscarried embryos have shown abnormal karyotypes as well. On the other hand, this group of couples have a better long-term live birth rate than those where miscarried embryos have normal karyotype.
While lifestyle factors have been associated with increased risk for miscarriage in general, and are usually not listed as specific causes for RPL, every effort should be made to address these issues in patients with RPL. Of specific concern are chronic exposures to toxins including smoking, alcohol, and drugs.
Some research on the maternal use of caffeine before conception found appreciable evidence that caffeine usage in excess of 300mg/d increases the risk of miscarriage. The same study found that use of caffeine smaller usage than this amount is correlated with an increase in the risk of miscarriage, though with odds ratios that included 1 at the 95% CI.
Official source
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