Reasons for Miscarriage

The reasons for miscarriage aren't always known. In fact, more often than not, you will simply not know what caused a specific miscarriage. The following are some possible explanations for why a single first-trimester miscarriage might occur in someone without a history of miscarriage. (Causes of recurrent miscarriages are more complex.)

Doctors believe that certain errors in the chromosomes of the developing baby are incompatible with life and lead to miscarriage. This is suspected to be the explanation behind the vast majority of first-trimester miscarriages, especially in women without a history of miscarriage. The exact cause behind chromosomal abnormalities, however, is yet to be determined.

Some researchers believe the errors occur randomly during cell division, while others speculate that environmental influences could increase the risk -- such as in parents who work around toxic chemicals. Moms over 35 are also more likely to miscarry for this reason. Most women who have pregnancies affected by chromosomal abnormalities will have normal subsequent pregnancies.

Some types of viral and bacterial infections can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Infections generally pose a higher risk of pregnancy loss in the second trimester and later, but a few can cause problems in the first trimester also.

Sometimes even when the doctor tests for chromosomal abnormalities in the lost pregnancy, the results come back normal. It can be very hard to cope with having no answer for why a miscarriage occurred, and you may be tempted to blame yourself. But miscarriage is almost never anyone's fault.

Sometimes underlying chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or celiac disease, in the mother can lead to an unexpected miscarriage. Most of the time, however, detecting and treating that condition should lead to a normal subsequent pregnancy. Other times, multiple miscarriages may occur because of antiphospholipid syndrome or another known recurrent miscarriage cause.