Does induced abortion (surgical abortion) cause recurrent miscarriages?
Recurrent miscarriage is frustrating for the physician and a heartbreaking experience for the patient. Approximately 5% of couples trying to conceive have two consecutive miscarriages. Despite a thorough study of patients, the aetiology of this common obstetric complication is unknown in 50% of cases. Known causes include abnormal chromosomes, endocrinological disorders and uterine abnormalities. At Antai Hospital, our doctors have discovered that the 50% of unknown-cause miscarriages are actually immunological, directly linked to induced abortions.
Induced abortion or induced miscarriage is the intentional ending of pregnancy, performed by highly trained medical professionals in the first trimester and up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Surgical abortion is performed by opening a widened cervix, where the fetus is removed from the mother’s body.
- For pregnancies within the first trimester, abortion is done using gentle suction.
- For pregnancies over 14 weeks until 24 weeks, the abortion is done by removing the fetus using narrow forceps through the cervix in a Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E) procedure.
Through Dr Chen Fenglin’s extensive medical research over 18 years, he has observed that a high percentage (50 percent) of recurrent early miscarriage patients had undergone a surgically induced abortion. Dr Chen began to research in-depth for the correlation and discovered a significant difference between the placental samples collected from women who have undergone abortion and women who have not.
During a surgical abortion procedure, doctors use a curet to scrape the uterus lining to ensure there are no leftover fetal tissues to avoid any uterine infections. It is common for uterine walls to be damaged during this process, which exposes the endometrial veins beneath the uterine walls.
If there is any excess or leftover fetal tissue in the uterus, there is a high chance that it might enter the mother’s bloodstream, which may generate an immune response. The mother’s immune system registers the fetal tissue as a foreign invader that should not be retained in the mother’s body. Hence the mother’s immune system generates a specific antibody that ‘attacks’ the new fetal tissue’s chromosome 2 gene. These antibodies are known as anti-embryo antibodies.
Chromosome 2 has the essential function of making fibronectin, which acts as a protective layer on the placenta. Without this crucial layer of fibronectin, the fetus is exposed to the mother’s immune system. Therefore, in the next pregnancy, the anti-embryo antibodies present in the mother’s blood will detect chromosome 2 in the fetal tissues once again. It dissolves the fibronectin layer protecting the fetus, which leads to the mother’s immune cells to attack the exposed fetus, leading to an early miscarriage.
If left untreated, this process repeats every time the mother gets pregnant. What many medical professionals deem an ‘unexplained recurrent miscarriage’ is, in fact, most likely an immunological recurrent miscarriage. Please arrange an appointment or inquire with us to find out more about the treatment of early recurrent miscarriages.
Other Risks
Other risks of induced abortions include:
- Uterine and vaginal infections
- Incomplete induced abortion
- Hemorrhage (heavy uterine bleeding)
- Discomfort in the digestive system
- Damage to the uterus and cervix
Antai Hospital’s Commitment
Antai Hospital’s full refund policy for the miscarriage prevention treatments we provide should already be the best guarantee for a healthy pregnancy. Patients should rest assured, can and should go about their everyday life, focusing their diet on vegetables, beans, celery, and other fiber-rich foods. Besides that, an active lifestyle of yoga and swimming should also be incorporated to help relieve stress and increase blood circulation, which is beneficial for the fetus’s development and the mother’s health. With our assurance, a healthy lifestyle, and peace of mind, you can go through a healthy pregnancy with no complications.
Recurrent miscarriages are no doubt a heavy blow to the patient’s physical and mental health. All we can do is to help ease the burden and decrease your trauma, to slowly help you overcome the anxiety with the love and care that we provide at Antai Hospital.
Trust in Antai Hospital and trust in yourself, your pregnancy is our priority.