Miscarriage

Even though about one in four pregnancy ends in miscarriage, it is usually difficult to determine the cause. Many women are left asking the question why? and find it hard to accept that no-one can give a definite answer. It is very unlikely to have been caused by anything you did - miscarriage is very rarely anyone's fault. If you have bleeding in early pregnancy you should attend an early pregnancy assessment unit, (see 'Early pregnancy assessment').

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The main causes of miscarriage are thought to be:

Genetic problems, Hormones, Immune system, Infections, Womb problems.

Genetic problems
About half of all early miscarriages occur because of chromosome abnormalities. These are not usually as a result of anything being wrong with the parent'schromosomes.

Hormones
Women with hormonal problems find it harder to get pregnant and when they do, are more likely to miscarry.