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Miscarriage

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Abortion - spontaneous; Spontaneous abortion

Symptoms:

Possible symptoms include:

• Low back pain or abdominal pain that is dull, sharp, or cramping
• Vaginal bleeding, with or without abdominal cramps
• Tissue or clot-like material that passes from the vagina

However, about 20% of pregnant women have some vaginal bleeding during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Approximately half of these women have a miscarriage.

Signs and tests:

During a pelvic exam, your health care provider may see moderate thinning of your cervix (effacement), increased cervical dilation, and evidence of ruptured membranes.

The following tests may be performed:

• HCG (qualitative) to confirm pregnancy
• HCG (quantitative) done every several days or weeks
• CBC to determine how much blood has been lost
• WBC and differential to rule out infection
• Blood type (if you have an Rh- blood type, you would require a treatment with Rh-immune globulin. See: Rh incompatibility )

• Review Date: 9/19/2006
• Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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