Miscarriage Rate

A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 20 weeks. (After 20 weeks, pregnancy loss is known as a stillbirth.) Overall, miscarriage affects up to 1 out of 4 women who become pregnant at some point in their lifetime.¹

The risk of miscarriage increases as a woman ages:¹

Other factors also associated with an increased risk of miscarriage include:

• A personal or family history of miscarriage.
• Alcohol or drug use.
• Smoking.
• Chemical exposure.
• Caffeine use.
• Certain gynecological problems.
• The presence of disease or infection.

¹ Schieve LA, et al. (2003). Spontaneous abortion among pregnancies conceived using assisted reproductive technology in the United States. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 101(5, Part 1): 959–967.

Credits

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Last Revised	December 7, 2011