A miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy can be heart breaking for a mother. Usually miscarriages occur in the first trimester. But a miscarriage in the second trimester is very rare and unexpected. A second trimester miscarriage can be devastating for both parents. Whether the miscarriage occurs in the first or second trimester, the risk factors for a miscarriage are the same and they are:
- Maternal age: The risk of having a miscarriage increases with your age. As you grow older your chances of a miscarriage are high.
- History of miscarriage: If you have a history of a miscarriage then there is a greater risk of a miscarriage to happen again.
- Smoking: If you are an avid smoker and smoke about 10 cigarettes a day, then you are at a greater risk of having a miscarriage. Paternal smoking can also be responsible for a miscarriage.
- Alcohol consumption: Alcohol consumption in moderate to high quantities can also increase your chances of a miscarriage.
- Drugs: Drugs such as cocaine is a great factor that can cause a miscarriage.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): If you have consumed NSAIDs at the time of conception then you are at a great risk of a miscarriage. NSAIDs restrain the production of a hormone called prostaglandin that helps in the implantation process. NSAIDs can also cause an abnormal implantation which increases your risks of a miscarriage.
- Caffeine: Consuming too much of caffeine can also increase the risk of a miscarriage.
- Overweight: Although there is no clear reason but research shows that overweight women are more prone to miscarriage. So try and control your weight before planning for the baby.
Second trimester miscarriages can also happen because of many other reasons, such as uncontrolled gestational diabetes, birth defects in the fetus (neural tube defects), amniotic band syndrome and exposure to pollutants such as smoking.
In some cases, second trimester miscarriages can also occur due to some problems with the uterus or cervix. An incompetent cervix is a condition in which the opening of the uterus or cervix opens up much earlier in the pregnancy which can lead to a miscarriage. In a normal pregnancy the cervix prepares itself to open up only at the time of birth. Miscarriage in the second trimester can also occur when the woman suffers from certain blood clotting diseases, such as thrombophilia.
Sometimes, during pregnancy, a woman can develop infections in their second trimester. There infections could either be viral or bacterial and these could lead to a second trimester miscarriage if not administered properly.
Placental abruption is a complication that occurs in pregnancy when the placenta detaches itself from the wall of the uterus before the baby is ready to be born and this can lead to second trimester .
