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.
Last Revised: December 7, 2011
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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