what is miscarriage? Recent research has revealed that an astonishing three out of four pregnancies do not end in the birth of a living baby. Miscarriage in New Zealand is defined as a pregnancy that ends spontaneously before 20 weeks, the baby not being born alive and weighing under 400g. Miscarriage affects one in every four women. (see ‘burial options in NZ’). The highest risk period is between 4 and 6 weeks. Once 8 or 9 weeks are reached and the baby's heart beat is seen on a scan there is only a 4% to 5% chance of miscarriage, depending on the speed of the heart-beat. It should be 120 to 160 times per minute. (BMP) The risk then drops to between 5% and 8% and continues to drop as the pregnancy proceeds. 99% of foetal deaths occur in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy (the 1st trimester is 12 weeks), although you may not actually miscarry for some weeks after the baby dies. This is called a missed abortion. (The medical term for miscarriage is "abortion" and the baby is an "embryo" to the 8th week and a "foetus" after that.) The chance of losing your first pregnancy is greater than later ones. What happens during miscarriage? The symptoms you experience will depend on the cause of the miscarriage and how advanced the pregnancy is/was so may take hours, days or even weeks to complete. Usually the foetus, placenta and blood from the uterus leave the body through the vagina. You may discover during a routine scan that there is no heartbeat, or even an empty foetal sac. Usually, by the time bleeding begins your baby has already died, unless it is around the 6 weeks period when only a small amount of blood is lost and then there is an 80% your baby will be fine (see ‘threatening miscarriage’).

what is miscarriage? | why miscarriages happen recurrent miscarriage | ectopic pregnancy molar pregnancy | types of miscarriage miscarriage at home | D&C and miscarriage treatment in NZ hospitals your health after miscarriage | subsequent pregnancy email: support@miscarriagesupport.org.nz | Online forum Supportline: (09) 378 4060 | Fax: (09) 360 4034 Please note: The medical information included on the website has been supplied for us by Doctors. Please take any further medical queries to your own doctor as we are not qualified to answer them. ©2006 Miscarriage Support Auckland Inc Terms of Use & Legal

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