Miscarriage Risk Factors vs Miscarriage Causes
Updated December 18, 2014.
Some other theorized factors have been correlated to miscarriage risk in the past but have not been proven to cause miscarriages. Some of them might actually cause miscarriages, but many of them may not.
So what does this mean for someone who wants the lowest possible risk of miscarriage? Well, quite a few risk factors for miscarriage are things that aren't good for your health anyway and you cannot go wrong with trying to address them. For example, if you smoke, quitting smoking is never a bad idea. It makes perfect sense to try to address these factors in your life in order to improve your overall health. A lower risk of miscarriage could be a side benefit.
At the same time, you should not look back in time and try to blame a specific miscarriage on any risk factor you might happen to have. Unless doctors did testing on the tissue from your miscarriage, you can't know what caused the miscarriage -- and even with testing, you still might not know. Even if you ate a lot of trans fats during your pregnancy, for example, that doesn't mean you can assume the trans fats caused your miscarriage. It's quite likely that the trans fats had no effect whatsoever.
But it's certainly a good idea to address your trans fat intake in the future for numerous reasons that have nothing to do with miscarriage.
In addition, if you're having recurrent miscarriages, you may choose to work with a doctor who promotes an unproven therapy against a risk factor that could theoretically be a miscarriage cause. This is an understandable choice, although it is wise to always know which therapies are proven vs. not proven so as to keep expectations grounded.
Sources:
Krabbendam, Lydia, Luc Smits, Rob de Bie, Janneke Bastiaanssen, Foekje Stelma, and Jim van Os, "The impact of maternal stress on pregnancy outcome in a well-educated Caucasian population." Paediatric & Perinatal Epidemiology Nov 2005. Accessed 20 Oct 2008.
Xiong, X., P. Buekens, W.D. Fraser, J. Beck, and S. Offenbacher, "Periodontal Disease and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review." Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey May 2006. Accessed 20 Oct 2008.
Some other theorized factors have been correlated to miscarriage risk in the past but have not been proven to cause miscarriages. Some of them might actually cause miscarriages, but many of them may not.
- Previous elective abortion
- Mother's age over 35
- Smoking
- Strenuous exercise during pregnancy
- High intake of trans fats
- Drinking a lot of coffee during pregnancy
- Obesity
- Elevated natural killer cells
What to Do About Miscarriage Risk Factors
So what does this mean for someone who wants the lowest possible risk of miscarriage? Well, quite a few risk factors for miscarriage are things that aren't good for your health anyway and you cannot go wrong with trying to address them. For example, if you smoke, quitting smoking is never a bad idea. It makes perfect sense to try to address these factors in your life in order to improve your overall health. A lower risk of miscarriage could be a side benefit.
At the same time, you should not look back in time and try to blame a specific miscarriage on any risk factor you might happen to have. Unless doctors did testing on the tissue from your miscarriage, you can't know what caused the miscarriage -- and even with testing, you still might not know. Even if you ate a lot of trans fats during your pregnancy, for example, that doesn't mean you can assume the trans fats caused your miscarriage. It's quite likely that the trans fats had no effect whatsoever.
But it's certainly a good idea to address your trans fat intake in the future for numerous reasons that have nothing to do with miscarriage.
In addition, if you're having recurrent miscarriages, you may choose to work with a doctor who promotes an unproven therapy against a risk factor that could theoretically be a miscarriage cause. This is an understandable choice, although it is wise to always know which therapies are proven vs. not proven so as to keep expectations grounded.
Sources:
Krabbendam, Lydia, Luc Smits, Rob de Bie, Janneke Bastiaanssen, Foekje Stelma, and Jim van Os, "The impact of maternal stress on pregnancy outcome in a well-educated Caucasian population." Paediatric & Perinatal Epidemiology Nov 2005. Accessed 20 Oct 2008.
Xiong, X., P. Buekens, W.D. Fraser, J. Beck, and S. Offenbacher, "Periodontal Disease and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review." Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey May 2006. Accessed 20 Oct 2008.
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