She points out that three miscarriages before diagnosis can impose a heavy emotional toll, though the problem is rarely life-threatening. Most women want to know why their miscarriage happened.
Diagnosis is the first step in the search for the wide-ranging causes of miscarriage.
It's treated with progesterone, the most common preventive treatment for first-trimester miscarriages. For approximately 12 percent of women, uterine abnormalities cause pregnancy loss, particularly in the second trimester. A hysterogram, or X-ray of a uterus which has been injected with opaque dye, is one commonly used method to check for these. An internal exam may determine this condition, in which the cervix is opening prematurely. The physician runs a drawstring-like stitch around the cervix to hold it closed.