Thrombophelia the culprit behind miscarriage!

Thrombophelia the culprit behind miscarriage!

Human reproduction system is a sequence of surprises. The successful pregnancy is a miracle against hundreds of odds. As an infertility expert, I always believe that it is a roller-coaster ride with various ups and downs. The peak fertility years between 20 to 30 years of age have greater chances of success. As the age progresses, we have feeble chances of pregnancy. Even during the peak years we experience as high as 15% cases of miscarriages due to various reasons. The percentage rises up to 50% in the old age women.

In many cases, pregnancies terminate at so early stage that we do not know about it. It is typically called a biochemical pregnancy. As the pregnancy proceeds further, the rate of miscarriage drops significantly. However, the same is not true in case of women more than 40 years of age. Abortion is the technical term for any kind of miscarriage, either induced or spontaneous. However, miscarriage is more common term for spontaneous abortions. We have to deal with a large number of abortions as an infertility expert, in fact more than successful pregnancies!

It is important to note that recurrent miscarriages need to be handled with additional care. We infertility experts work out every possible step to prevent reoccurrence of the same.

We can classify recurrent pregnancy loss into several categories, e.g. genetic, anatomic, hormonal, infectious and Thrombophelia, etc. In case of genetic category, the female inherits the tendency of termination of pregnancy. There is no apparent cause of it, but the pregnancy can’t survive more than a few weeks. In case of anatomic cases, the female reproductive system has structural failures causing abnormal termination. In the hormonal cases, the hormonal combination gets disturbed in the body causing a tendency of miscarriage.

Thrombophelia, a major cause of miscarriage

Out of the total cases of abortion, a major chunk is due to Thrombophelia. It is a peculiar case of blood clot that causes pregnancy loss. Bleeding and blood clotting is a delicate process peculiar to the humans.

Clotting is the reflex action against excessive bleeding. In case of genetic disorders like hemophilia, the clotting process does not happen resulting in excessive bleeding. In the same way, some people have a tendency of excessive blood clotting resulting in pregnancy loss and intrauterine fetal demise or intrauterine growth retardation. There are multiple causes and treatments of Thrombophelia.

It is a fact that if a patient has no other apparent causes of miscarriage, then it is high probability that Thrombophelia is the culprit. It is important to evaluate the presence of the same and treat it accordingly. Usually the success rate is very high (almost 90%) and the side-effects are minimal. With the correct diagnosis and perfect medication, the problem can be controlled up to a large extent.

Recurrent miscarriage is a traumatic experience for the couples, especially the mothers. We have to keep a close monitoring on the mental and emotional status of the patients while treating the physiological aspects of the problem.

Miscarriage and How to deal With Miscarriage

Miscarriage and How to deal With Miscarriage

What is a miscarriage?
A miscarriage is as a loss of pregnancy prior to the 20th week of gestation.  A pregnancy loss after the 20th week of gestation is considered a stillbirth. The different types of miscarriages create different signs and symptoms, ways of coping with miscarriage, and how to attempt conceiving after miscarriage.

The simple definition of miscarriage is the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy. Miscarriage affects about 25% of all expectant women, and generally happens between four and six weeks. Miscarriage almost always happens before the 13th week of pregnancy. The chances of a miscarriage are higher in first pregnancies than in later ones.

Miscarriages happen for a wide variety of reasons. About half are due to abnormalities in the fetus or the placenta, including chromosomal problems. Sometimes the egg attaches in the wrong place resulting in an early miscarriage. Recent studies have linked environmental pollution or excessive caffeine consumption to higher risks of miscarriage. So the short answer is that most times, miscarriage occurs totally outside of the control of the expectant mother.

The different types of miscarriages are listed below:
- A "Chemical" Pregnancy        
- Missed Miscarriage
- Blighted Ovum                    
- Molar Pregnancy
- Completed Miscarriage        
- Recurrent Miscarriage
- Ectopic Pregnancy                
- Stillbirth
- Incomplete Miscarriage        
- Threatened Miscarriage
- Inevitable Miscarriage

What are the impacts of a miscarriage?
For the mother it is both physical and emotional, and there are a number of painful and unpleasant impacts of a miscarriage. There will usually be significant vaginal bleeding and the passing of large clots. This in and of itself is a little unnerving for the mother and her partner. After all, how much blood is too much or how many clots are too many? How can you tell what is to be expected and what is not? In addition, mom's body often reacts like it does when she gives birth, so, for example, her breasts may enlarge and be tender. Her hormones will likely cause unexpected emotional and physical reactions, which only complicate the feeling of loss.

Emotional impacts - For both mom and dad, there are significant emotional issues. The feeling of emptiness a mom experiences is both physical and emotional. There may be feelings of guilt or of failure. And there may be a sense of overall depression or discouragement.

How should I deal with my grief, and that of my partner?
Know what to say and what not to say. Many moms who have miscarried have suggested that their husbands not try to console them with a message that "you can still have other kids." For mom, this baby was unique and special. Having more kids in any number will not eliminate the feeling of loss. Talking about other pregnancies may be our male way of trying to fix it. What mom needs is a listening ear, sympathy and a reassurance of your love for her. This kind of attitude will help her deal more effectively with her loss.

Socialize and share. Men typically don't call other men on the phone to talk about their feelings, even in the case of a miscarriage. It is just not our way of grieving. But some dads have experienced some peace and healing by writing down some of those feelings and "giving them life" on paper. That can be very therapeutic for a grieving father.

Support each other for your partner. Your partner will often feel the loss of a child more keenly that you will. So take the time to sit with her, hold her, and listen to her express herself. Just being there and supporting her through her grief will really help her process the experience.

Do more creative work and get busy. Men will often turn to a project to help assuage the feelings of grief and loss. It is not a bad way to deal with everything that is going on around you. Being busy (but not too busy to be supportive to your partner) will help with the passing of time and will focus you in a positive direction.

Miscarriage is a huge blow to an expectant couple. By staying focused on supporting each other and by realizing that time will help the healing process, you can find peace even as you grieve for the loss of that one special life.

Miscarriage & Stillbirths

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is the spontaneous abortion of an embryo or fetus before it’s developed enough to survive. This can happen even before a woman is aware that she is pregnant. A miscarriage usually occurs in the first 3 months of pregnancy, before 12 weeks’ gestation. A small fraction of miscarriages less than 1% of them — are called stillbirths, as they occur after 20 weeks of gestation.

Miscarriage is often an upsetting event and with repeated miscarriages, a woman or a couple can find themselves on an emotional roller coaster. Almost anyone who has suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth worries about the risk of having subsequent losses. Recent information indicates that women should look into testing after two losses when it used to be common to wait until three. This is especially important for women in their 30s and 40s. Newer studies indicate a miscarriage rate of 26-40% after a woman has suffered two losses, so earlier testing makes sense emotionally, physically, and in many cases financially as well.

Symptoms of a Miscarriage?

Many women don’t even know that they’ve had a miscarriage, thinking that it’s just a particularly heavy menstrual flow.

Some women experience cramping, spotting, heavier bleeding, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, weakness, or back pain. Spotting is not always a sign of a miscarriage; many women experience it early on in pregnancy. But just to be safe, if you have spotting or any of these other symptoms anytime during your pregnancy, talk with your doctor.

Reasons for Recurrent miscarriage:

Some Reasons for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss can be genetic or Chromosome problems, Hormonal factors, Problems with the uterus, Immune system disorders or Unexplained Miscarriage. There is sometimes more than one reason for recurrent pregnancy loss so investigations need to be complete.

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The loss of pregnancy can result in feelings of grief. For many, the emotional healing that follows a pregnancy loss takes longer than the physical healing. Your feelings of grief may be different from those of your partner and the healing process may progress at a different speed.

Stillbirths

A stillbirth, which many experts define as the death of a baby after the 20th week of pregnancy, can occur before delivery or during labor or delivery. It is rare and occurs in less than 1% of all births. A stillbirth also is sometimes referred to as intrauterine fetal death or antenatal death.

While there are some known risk factors for stillbirth (such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes), there is no way to predict when stillbirth will happen or who will have one, and the cause of many stillbirths remains unknown.

The first and most common sign of a stillbirth is decreased movement in the baby. Other possible signs include persistent cramping or stabbing pains in the pelvis, back, or lower abdomen, or vaginal bleeding. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

Your doctor can use an ultrasound to detect the heartbeat or give you an electronic fetal non-stress test, which involves lying on your back with electronic monitors attached to your abdomen. The monitors record the baby’s heart rate, movements, and contractions of the uterus.

Stillbirth is common. It may affect anyone. There is no way to predict when stillbirth will happen or who will experience it. Stillbirth occurs in families of all races, religions, and income levels.

Always remember that the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Recurrent miscarriage or Stillbirths can be cured like any other disease and it does not mean that you cannot have family. If you have been through or experiencing Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Recurrent miscarriage or Stillbirths, come share your experiences with us.