Common misconceptions found regarding miscarriage rates, causes

A large proportion of people believe that miscarriage rarely occurs, and when it does, they often thought lifestyle choices were the cause, according to recently published data. 

“Because of the folklore surrounding miscarriage and the reluctance of those who experience a miscarriage to share that experience, there is a significant information gap between the medical diagnosis of miscarriage and the patient’s personal experience,” Zev Williams, MD, PhD, director of the Program for Early and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and colleagues wrote.

Researchers surveyed 1,084 men and women, aged 18 to 69 years, from around the U.S. to evaluate perceptions of frequency, cause and emotional effects of miscarriage.

Among all participants, 55% believed that miscarriages were uncommon, reporting that they thought it occurred in 5% or less of all pregnancies. Survey responders viewed stressful events (76%), lifting heavy objects (64%) and history of IUD use (28%) or oral contraceptives (22%) as potential causes of miscarriage. A majority of participants (78%) stated that they would want to know the cause of their miscarriage, regardless of whether or not it was preventable.

Perceptions of miscarriage varied widely by gender and education level (P < .001).

Overall, 15% of participants had personally experienced a miscarriage, or had a partner experience a miscarriage. Among these participants, 47% had feelings of guilt, 41% felt alone and 28% felt ashamed. Additionally, 37% of those who experienced a miscarriage felt as though they had lost a child and 41% felt that they had done something wrong to cause the miscarriage. Fifty-seven percent of participants who had a history of miscarriage were not provided with a cause and 38% felt they could have prevented miscarriage. However, when a cause of miscarriage was found, a 19% decrease was seen in feelings of guilt.

While sufficient emotional support from outsiders was reported by 74% of respondents, only 45% felt they received enough support from their medical community. One-fourth reported they did not receive enough support from the medical community. Feelings of isolation decreased among 28% of those who experienced miscarriage when celebrities share their miscarriage experience. Moreover, when close friends discussed their miscarriage experience, 46% of participants felt less isolated.

Williams and colleagues hope that the results from their study will encourage more people to talk about miscarriage and share their own experiences. They suggest that the medical community at large do more to provide women and couples support, both emotional and educational, after a miscarriage. 

“The results of our survey indicate widespread misconceptions about the prevalence and causes of miscarriage. Because miscarriage is very common but rarely discussed, many women and couples very isolated and alone after suffering a miscarriage. We need to better educate people about miscarriage, which could help reduce the shame and stigma associated with it. We want people who experience miscarriage to know that they’re not alone — that miscarriages are all too common and that tests are available to help them learn what caused their miscarriage and hopefully to help them in subsequent pregnancies,” Williams said in a press release. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.