FRIDAY, DAY 5
SEXUALITY AND REPRODUCTION
About one in three or four pregnancies ends with the loss of the fetus in what’s called a miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion. The majority of miscarriages occur during the earliest stages—the first trimester, or 13 weeks of pregnancy. In fact, many women may not even realize they were pregnant.
Some miscarriages come from “chemical pregnancies,” in which a positive test is noted but the pregnancy is lost shortly after a fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus. As a result, a woman may bleed excessively around the time of her period.
Although a number of factors increase the likelihood of having a miscarriage, experts often aren’t able to pinpoint the exact cause. Miscarriages can result from chromosomal abnormalities or a health condition of the mother, such as a hormonal problem, diabetes, thyroid disease, an infection, a cervical abnormality, or an autoimmune disorder. Lifestyle factors, such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, or taking drugs, also raise the risk of pregnancy loss. Caffeine plays a role as well: A recent study found that women who took in more than 200 milligrams of caffeine daily, or more than the amount in about 2 cups of coffee, were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as those who didn’t consume any.
In many miscarriages, women don’t require further treatment. But if there’s any remaining tissue in the uterus, a gynecologist will recommend a procedure called dilation and curettage, in which the cervix is dilated and the tissue is removed. Another option is a prescription drug called misoprostol, which helps the uterus clear itself.