MISCARRIAGES
are caused by your baby / fetus (fee-tuss) exiting the
womb before it is mature enough.
In the above picture (not drawn to scale):
1 is the fetus comfortably living in the womb;
2 is the womb - also known as the uterus (you-ter-russ);
and 3 is the exit to the womb called the cervix
(sir-vicks). Any abnormality with 1, 2, or 3 can cause a miscarriage.
Problems with the fetus are usually genetic abnormalities
or malformations. Problems with the womb can be abnormal
shapes, or abnormalities in function. The most common problem
for the cervix is one which is does not close tightly
enough to prevent the growing fetus from squeezing out before its
time.
Types of Miscarriage:
- Threatened
Miscarriage
-- This is where the fetus is still in the womb but has begun
to show signs such as a vaginal bleed, that it may be on its way
out.
- Incomplete
Miscarriage -- This means that the fetus has come out but
left behind belongings like the placenta and minor
tissues.
- Complete
Miscarriage -- All of the fetus and its allied tissues have
exited.
- Missed
Miscarriage -- This is when the fetus has passed away in the womb
quietly without any bleed or other standard alert symptoms.
It may first be noted by your obstetrician when s/he finds that
your womb has not grown over successive visits.
