The term ‘recurrent miscarriage’ is used when a woman has three or four miscarriages in a row At this point, she will usually be referred to a specialist to investigate what might be behind it. Affecting approximately one in 100 women, recurrent miscarriage may be caused by various problems or conditions; however, there may be no tangible cause and it would then be called an ‘unexplained miscarriage’.

What causes recurrent miscarriage?

A possible cause of recurrent miscarriage is a genetic one. You or your partner may have a chromosomal abnormality, or the combination of your chromosomes creates an abnormality; while it does not adversely affect you, it may cause problems when passed on to your baby – this is called an ‘unbalanced translocation’. Blood disorders – antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), blood clotting problems and some inherited blood clotting disorders – can also be a cause. Other areas to     investigate are the uterus – abnormal uterine shape, fibroids and cervical weakness can all play a part in recurrent miscarriage – and hormones: conditions such as polycystic ovaries can affect fertility.

What treatments for recurrent miscarriage are available?

New findings and developments help specialists such as London female gynaecologist Amanda Tozer to understand why recurrent miscarriages occur; that knowledge informs a fertility treatment plan. For example, if the diagnosed cause is a translocation problem and you are considering IVF, the embryos can be screened for abnormalities before implantation. If carrying a baby to term is threatened by a weak cervix, a simple cervical stitch procedure may help. It is important to bear in mind that a cause may not be found; if it is, it may not be treatable, or the treatment of miscarriage may not be successful. However, at Miss Amanda Tozer’s London fertility clinic, you can be confident of receiving personalised and compassionate care from a specialist with years of experience in this field.