6 factors that can lead to a miscarriage

Dr Ragini Agarwal shares with us the leading factors of miscarriages and how they can be tackled.

Occurrence of miscarriage or abortion of a wanted pregnancy is a great trauma for couples. Although all pregnancies cannot be saved, but many times it is lack of awareness that is the major reason for it. Pre-conception counselling plays a great role in prevention of miscarriages or spontaneous abortions. Spontaneous abortions may often go unnoticed prior to clinical detection but the incidence of these early losses is not clear. The most widely accepted rate of loss for a single spontaneous abortion is about 15-20% (1 in 6) of 'clinically detected' pregnancies. Many times these abortions can be saved by just taking preconceptional folic acid tablets. So if you are thinking to have a baby, it is better to start getting ready for pregnancy. Preconception health and focus on things you can do before pregnancy to increase the chances of having a healthy baby.  Dr. Ragini Agrawal, Clinical Director and Incharge fertility and IVF CENTER of W-Hospital by Pratiksha Gurgaon shares with us how awareness about the following things can reduce the incidence of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions. 1. Medical disorders Healthy lifestyle, eating right kind of food, having proper weight all contribute towards a baby’s health. If you are suffering from some medical disorder, you will need to control it or change in its prescription to prevent miscarriage or birth defects in babies where you are forced to go for abortion. Uncontrolled diabetes or pre-existing diabetes can lead to defects in baby. Medications for epilepsy need to be changed to prevent birth defect. 2. Thyroid Thyroid hormone plays a critical role during pregnancy both in the development of a healthy baby and in maintaining the health of the mother. Thyroid hormone is important to normal development of the baby’s brain and nervous system. During the first trimester, the foetus depends on the mother’s supply of thyroid hormone, which comes through the placenta. At around 12 weeks, the baby’s thyroid begins to function on its own. Hyper and Hypothyroidism both can cause miscarriage. Hence, you need to be extra cautious and get these check-ups done when planning to get pregnant. 3. Vaccinations Not only this, you should be properly vaccinated and aware of your health status. Rubella is a viral infection if you contracted in early pregnancy it can result in birth defect so you need a vaccine for it before conception to prevent this complication. Having the right vaccinations at the right time can help keep you healthy and help keep your baby from getting very sick or having lifelong health problems. 4. Toxic substances Avoid toxic substances and other environmental contaminants harmful materials at work or at home, such as synthetic chemicals, metals, fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent faeces. These substances can hurt the reproductive systems of both men and women. Exposure to even small amounts during may lead to a miscarriage. . 5. Beauty products Your nail paints, lipsticks and other cosmetics can have chemical like phthalate and lead which can affect growing foetus. You need to limit its use.  6. Preserved foods Nutrition plays a very big role in development of healthy baby. Food laden with pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals can cause birth defects so choose your food wisely. Do not be ignorant. Planning for pregnancy with full awareness and counselling is advisable to prevent abnormality. Although it is not a foolproof way to save all complications but mostly it definitely gives you an edge over others. Image Source: Shutterstock
Content Source: Health.com