This content requires Flash

To view this content, JavaScript must be enabled, and you need the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player.

Download the free Flash Player now!

Female 1: Miscarriage is a regrettably common complication occurring in about 20% of pregnancies in the United States. So what exactly is a miscarriage?

Female 2: A miscarriage is the natural loss of a fetus which occurs before a pregnancy has reached its midway point of 20 weeks. When a woman has a miscarriage, her fetus and placenta can be expelled naturally from the body through her vagina. This manifests as vaginal bleeding, spotting or blood clots, and as of abdominal pain or cramping.

For those women unable to expel the tissue naturally, a surgical procedure may be required to extract the fetus from the womb. Miscarriages are devastating but they usually occur when there is something very wrong with the baby or the pregnancy.

There are three common causes of a miscarriage, which can be subdivided into chromosomal abnormalities, internal difficulties and substance abuse. Chromosomes are strands of DNA, which carry a person's genes and help to pass on hereditary traits from parent to child.

Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes or 46 total, which are with them from the first day in the womb. Occasionally though, a developing fetus will not have the proper number of chromosomes. For example in a trisomy, a baby receives three chromosomes of one type rather than a standard pair. With one extra chromosome, the pregnancy will often not carry to term. Conversely, a fetus with the condition known as monosomy is missing one chromosome. This is also a common cause of a miscarriage. Sometimes a mother may have internal difficulties of her own that can lead to an interrupted pregnancy. One example is the misshaping uterus in which a woman's uterus is not large enough to accommodate the needs of a growing baby.

Some women experience miscarriages or even infertility due to non-cancerous tumors in the uterine cavity, which are called submucous fibroids. Others have adhesions or scar tissue inside the womb, which can restrict the implantation of the fetus, instant its growth leading to a miscarriage.

Cervical incompetence is a problem that occurs less frequently. When a weaken cervix shortens and widens expelling the fetus prematurely. On a rare occasion, a chronic condition present in the mother such as diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure or lupus can also provoke a miscarriage. But do not worry, with careful monitoring, women with these conditions usually deliver perfectly, healthy babies.

Rarely, outside toxins like high dose radiation, insecticides, and lead may lead to a miscarriage.

Miscarriages are devastating, but there can be ways to reduce the chances of having one. If you are attempting to conceive, make sure that you speak with your doctor about preconception care in your own health risks.

Female 1: Want to learn more? Check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.

Female 1: Miscarriage is a regrettably common complication occurring in about 20% of pregnancies in the United States. So what exactly is a miscarriage? Female 2: A miscarriage is the natural loss of a fetus which occurs before a pregnancy has reached its midway point of 20 weeks. When a woman... click to read more