It is estimated that some 50% of all conceptions abort spontaneously. About 35% of these are referred to as biochemical pregnancies. They are undetected by the mother - no prolongation of the menstrual cycle - but are indicated by the presence of beta-hCG 7 to 10 days after ovulation - denoting that conception has occurred.
Of the clinically recognised conceptions, the majority are lost in the first 14 days following conception. The rate of foetal loss from 8 weeks gestation to 28 weeks gestation is 3% on average.
Spontaneous miscarriage is influenced by:
Earlier miscarriages are more likely caused by chromosomal abnormality including trisomy, polyploidy and autosomal monosomy. This accounts for:
Chromosomal abnormality remains a cause of spontaneous abortion in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters but it's importance relative to other factors diminishes.
An early miscarriage is the loss of pregnancy at <= 13 weeks' gestation (1,2)
Reference:
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page