miscarriage

A miscarriage is the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation. Fetal death after week 20 is termed fetal death in utero (FDIU).

Terminology

The term miscarriage is preferred by many over 'abortion' due to the use of the latter for therapeutic pregnancy termination, and the perceived stigma attributed to it by some.

Terminology varies greatly, as do the definitions of these terms. Commonly it is divided into:

• threatened miscarriage
• missed miscarriage
• inevitable miscarriage
• incomplete miscarriage
• complete miscarriage

Epidemiology

Approximately 20-25% of all pregnancies experience a threatened miscarriage. Of these, 15-50% result in embryonic/fetal death. The rate of fetal loss is significantly lower in pregnancies which do not threaten to miscarry (only 2-7%). A miscarriage often occurs very early in the pregnancy, often without any alteration of the menstrual cycle and thus not perceived by the woman.

When a woman has had three or more miscarriages, the term habitual miscarriage is used.

Clinical presentation

Typically presents with vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and cramping.

Siehe auch:

• Abortus completus
• embryonal demise
• verhaltener Abort
• Abortus incompletus
• drohende Fehlgeburt
• habitual miscarriage
• unvermeidliche Fehlgeburt

und weiter:

• obstetric curriculum
• double decidual sac sign
• Placenta membranacea
• Triploidie
• Abortivei
• hydropic degeneration of the placenta
• per vaginal bleeding in the exam
• differential diagnosis for bleeding in pregnancy
• partial hydatidiform mole
• amniocentesis
• AIDS embryopathy
• intra-uterine blood clot
• chorionic villus sampling
• fetal death
• fetal heart beat
• failed early pregnancy : ASUM, RCOG and ACR criteria
• spalding sign