Miscarriage - by Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD
What is a miscarriage? A miscarriage, which is also known as ‘spontaneous
abortion’, occurs when a baby (foetus) is lost before the 24th week of
pregnancy. After this time, the death of a baby is called a ‘stillbirth’.
Many women feel well and will not notice anything untoward before a scan
confirms that the baby has stopped developing and died. In this situation,
the miscarriage is called a ‘missed abortion’ because the baby has died,
but has not been expelled from the womb. In some cases, a fertilised egg
will not have developed properly, This is known as a ‘blighted ovum’.
Unfortunately, you may not know anything is wrong until you have the first
routine scan, which is a great shock to an expectant mother.
Are there any symptoms?
In the case of a threatened miscarriage, where the risk of losing your
baby is increased, you may experience:
• bleeding from the vagina, often containing clots
• blood in the vaginal mucus
• abdominal pain and/or cramping
• back pain
What causes a miscarriage?
This question is still largely unanswered. Sometimes there is a medical
reason for a miscarriage but other women miscarry but have completely
normal test results. If you know that there is something that can be done
to prevent it happening again, you’ll feel much more confident about embarking
upon another pregnancy.
The greatest risk of miscarriage takes place before the twelfth week of
pregnancy. Until that time, the embryo floats unattached in the womb.
At week 12, it becomes attached to the placenta and the pregnancy becomes
more firmly established.
Some of the most common causes are as follows: Fibroids
If fibroids protrude into the womb, they increase the risk of miscarriage
because they may make it difficult for the implanted embryo to develop
properly.
Chromosomal abnormality
It is believed that up to 50 percent of miscarriages are due to a chromosomal
abnormality. It can occur before, during and after fertilisation, as the
chromosomes divide. For this reason, it is extremely important that both
you and your partner are in optimum health before you conceive in order
to make sure that the egg and sperm are as healthy as possible.
Inherited genetic problems
This is a much less common reason for a miscarriage, and you might be
unaware that you carry problematic genes. If you suffer repeated miscarriages,
it will likely be suggested that you and your partner undergo genetic
(karyotype) testing.
Infection
There are two possible scenarios here: you may have caught a severe infection
during the early part of pregnancy, which has caused a miscarriage. In
this case, you are highly unlikely to miscarry again for this reason.
Alternatively, the miscarriage could be caused by a genitourinary infection,
which could possibly lead to further miscarriages unless it is treated.
Weight problems
We now know that obesity increases the risk of miscarriage,. Furthermore,
women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), who often have a weight problem,
are more to suffer a miscarriage. In a study of women with PCOS who were
asked to change their diet, the rate of miscarriages dropped from 75 percent
to 18 percent in those women who had lost weight.
Hormonal problems
Luteinising hormone (LH) controls the development and release of the egg
from the ovary. Women who high levels of this hormone have a greater risk
of miscarriage and women PCOS tend to have raised levels of LH. Progesterone
is the hormone that is responsible for maintaining a pregnancy during
the first few weeks. Without sufficient levels of progesterone, the pregnancy
cannot continue.
Auto-immune disorders
An auto-immune condition occurs when you produce antibodies against your
own cells. Normally, antibodies are produced by the body to fight off
invaders. In this case, however, they fail to recognise cells as being
normal, and set up defences against them. These antibodies are believed
to cause blood clots in the placenta, preventing the baby from getting
adequate blood and nutrition.
Anatomical abnormalities
An unusually shaped womb may cause problems with implantation. Surgery
is an option if you suffer from an abnormal womb.
Abnormal sperm
Because it is the woman who miscarries, greater emphasis has been placed
on problems with the female reproductive system. However, if you continually
miscarry, and there seems to be no medical cause, it is logical to consider
that the problem may be caused by your partner’s sperm. Early studies
have shown that there is an increased risk of miscarriage where there
are high sperm abnormalities. It is, therefore, essential that you and
your partner are in optimum health before trying to conceive.
Smoking
If you smoke, there is an undoubted and proven increased risk of miscarriage.
It is also thought that chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage the DNA
in the sperm leading to increased miscarriage rate.
Alcohol
It is well known that alcohol can alter a man’s sperm count and cause
an increase in abnormal sperm.. Therefore, it follows that if an abnormal
sperm fertilises an egg, nature will try to ‘get rid’ of that embryo.
It is also known that even moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy
works as a reproductive toxin and increases the risk of miscarriage.
Caffeine
Caffeine intake has been found to increase the risk of a miscarriage.
Some studies suggest there is twice the risk of miscarriage when as little
as one to three cups of coffee are consumed a day.. And it’s not just
women who are affected by caffeine. Problems with sperm health seem to
increase with the number of cups of coffee men drink each day.
If you have suffered a miscarriage, it is natural to be very concerned
about why it happened, and to want to prevent a recurrence. There may
simply be no medical reason why you are miscarrying.
The aim is to minimise the risk of a miscarriage by following
the recommendations below.
The natural approach to miscarriage, particularly when there is no medically
diagnosed cause, has proved to be very effective. A study conducted by
the University of Surrey showed that 83 percent of couples, with a previous
history of miscarriage, who made changes in their lifestyle, diet and
took nutritional supplements, conceived and had a baby within the three
years of the study without experiencing another miscarriage.
It takes at least three months for immature eggs to be ready for ovulation.
As a result, there is a three month period in which you can take steps
to ensure that all of the factors necessary for a healthy conception and
pregnancy are present.
It also takes at least three months for sperm cells to mature, ready to
be ejaculated, so your partner needs to follow the recommendations below
over three months as well.
What natural treatments could be effective?
Dietary changes
Both
you and your partner should make sure that you are eating as healthily
as possible. This will help to optimise the health of your partner’s sperm
and your own eggs. It will also ensure that your body is rich in the types
of nutrients that a growing baby needs.
There are certain aspects of your diet that will need particular attention
when trying to prevent a miscarriage: It is important to eliminate both
alcohol and smoking for you and your partner when trying to prevent a
miscarriage. If you want to avoid a miscarriage, then also eliminate caffeine
from your diet. Remember that caffeine comes in a variety of forms apart
from tea and coffee, so watch out for colas, soft drinks, chocolate and
even pain-relieving remedies.
Saturated fats
Both red meat and dairy produce contain arachidonic acid, which encourages
the production of a prostaglandin that leads to increased blood clotting.
So reduce your intake of saturated fats by cutting down on animal foods.
Fish, however, should be top of your list. Fish contains certain unsaturated
fats, called essential fatty acids, that encourage the production of healthy
prostaglandins.. It is these prostaglandins that help to reduce abnormal
blood clotting. Good sources of essential fatty acids (EFAs) are found
in seeds, nuts, oils and oily fish (salmon, mackerel, kippers, for example).
Supplements
Your diet will be supplemented in order to ensure that both you and your
partner have all the nutrients required to create healthy eggs and sperm.
Below you’ll also find nutrients that are vital for preventing miscarriage.
Folic Acid
Any woman trying to become pregnant now knows about the importance of
folic acid, which has been proven to prevent spina bifida. What you may
not know is that it is extremely important for women who experience miscarriage.
High levels of an amino acid called homocysteine (which damages blood
vessels) has been found in women who experience recurrent miscarriage.
It is, therefore, important that both folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12
form a part of your supplement plan.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential component of genetic material and a zinc deficiency
can cause chromosome changes in both partners, leading to an increased
risk of miscarriage. Zinc is found in high concentrations in the sperm,
and adequate levels are needed to make the outer layer and tail. It’s
fairly obvious that it is a crucial nutrient for healthy sperm. What’s
more, zinc plays a vital role in normal cell division, so it is particularly
important that adequate levels are available at the time of conception
in order to prevent a miscarriage.
Selenium
Researchers have found that women who miscarry have low levels of selenium
in their blood compared to women who don’t miscarry. Selenium is a powerful
antioxidant and it can prevent chromosome breakage and DNA damage, which
are known to be a cause of miscarriages and birth defects. Selenium is
also needed for healthy sperm formation and as an antioxidant, selenium
can also protect against possible DNA damage to sperm.
Herbs
There are a number of herbs that can be very helpful in the prevention
of miscarriage, and they should be taken during the three month preconceptual
period (which takes place before you are trying to become pregnant again).
Agnus Castus (Vitex/chastetree berry)
This is a very helpful remedy for women who experience miscarriage because
of a luteal phase defect (shortened second half of the cycle) or insufficient
progesterone levels. It stimulates the function of the pituitary gland,
which controls and balances our hormones by producing luteinising hormone.
This increases progesterone production and helps regulate a woman’s cycle.
False Unicorn Root (Chamaelirium luteum)
This herb is particularly recommended for those women who have been subject
to recurrent miscarriage. It is believed to be a tonic for the womb and
the whole of the reproductive system. False unicorn root is usually used
in combination with the other herbs mentioned here in order to prevent
a miscarriage.
Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium)
Black haw helps to relax the womb and to prevent it contracting inappropriately,
which can be a feature of miscarriage. To make this easier I have formulated
two supplements (Fertility Plus for Women and Fertility Plus for Men)
that contain all of the important vitamins and minerals in the correct
quantities.
Dr
Marilyn Glenville PhD is the UK’s leading nutritionist specialising in
female hormone problems. She is President of the Forum for Food and Health
at the Royal Society of Medicine and a registered nutritionist. Dr Glenville
is the author of a number of internationally best selling books including
‘Natural Solutions to Infertility’, Osteoporosis the Silent Epidemic’,
New Natural Alternatives to HRT’, ‘Fat around the Middle’ and ‘Eating
for a Healthy Menopause’. She works in a gynaecology clinic in London.
For more in depth information look on Marilyn’s website www.marilynglenville.com.
If you are interested in a consultation you can contact Dr Glenville’s
clinic on 0870 5329244 or by email: health@marilynglenville.com.
To obtain Fertility Plus for Men and Women, made by The Natural Health
Practice, ask your local health food shop.
