Foetal growth link to miscarriage

[Posted: Wed 03/09/2008 by Olivia Fens]

Doctors appear to have discovered why some women suffer unexplained miscarriages.

Women have a one in five risk of suffering a miscarriage during the first three months of pregnancy. Previous research had shown that high levels of alcohol intake and smoking during pregnancy, as well as the consumption of certain foods such as blue-veined cheeses, could increase the risk of spontaneous miscarriage.

According to new research, published in the British Journal of Gynaecology (BJOG), foetal growth factors can also lead to miscarriage during the first months of pregnancy.

Specialists in early pregnancy ultrasound at the University of London studied the transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) of 292 women. Using TVS to measure the size of the foetus, the researchers compared these measurements, known as its crown rump length (CRL), to standard growth measurements based on gestational age.

The study found that 100% of the miscarried foetuses had low crown rump length. In 61% of the women who miscarried, the foetus was significantly smaller than expected for the gestational age.

The scientists speculate that these findings point to the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus or placental dysfunction, either of which may restrict the normal growth of the foetus, thereby leading to the miscarriage.

Researchers suggest that a smaller than expected CRL is a possible marker of early pregnancy failure and that women identified as having such a condition should receive counselling and be offered a further ultrasound scan in two weeks to check whether the pregnancy is ongoing.

“Miscarriage is heart-aching for many women, however, it is more common than most people think and it is the body’s natural way to reject a foetus that is not growing normally, said BJOG editor-in-chief, Prof Philip Steer.

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