The different types & definitions of miscarriage – Antai Hospital

What is a miscarriage and when does it occur? How is a miscarriage classified? What are the different types of miscarriages? Find out more in this article.

Miscarriage: Types & Definitions

A miscarriage, also known as a pregnancy loss, is defined as the natural or spontaneous expulsion of pregnancy tissues which includes the fetus, the umbilical cord, amniotic fluid etc from the mother’s body that occurs at a certain point during a pregnancy. 

A miscarriage can further be classified into two groups depending on when they occur during the pregnancy:

• Early miscarriage — A miscarriage that occurs during the first trimester of the pregnancy i.e., anywhere between last menstrual period (LMP) to the 12 weeks of pregnancy, in other words in the first three months of pregnancy.
• Late miscarriage — A miscarriage that occurs after the first trimester of the pregnancy i.e., anywhere from week 13 of pregnancy onwards.

*A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage that occurs between week 3 to week 4 of pregnancy.

Based on patient’s pregnancy history, miscarriages can further be separated into:

• Primary miscarriage (原发性流产)– A primary miscarriage is a patient that has miscarried since her first pregnancy, no history of healthy pregnancies.
• Secondary miscarriage (继发性流产)– A secondary miscarriage is a patient that has a history of a healthy pregnancy before but has since experienced miscarriages.

To be more in-depth, it can be further categorized into the following:

1. Primary early miscarriage

• Patient experienced a natural early miscarriage since her first pregnancy, occurring between last menstrual period till 12^th week of gestation. Uterine malformation is the most common for this type, accounting for 10% of total natural miscarriages. 

2. Primary late miscarriage

• Patients experience a natural late miscarriage since her first pregnancy, occurring from week 13 of gestation. Most common reasons are uterine malformations and cervical insufficiency, accounting for 17% of total natural miscarriages.

3. Secondary early miscarriage

• Patients has a history of healthy pregnancies but has experienced a miscarriage that occurred between last menstrual period and 12^th week of pregnancy. It is most commonly caused by immunological factors, accounting for 70% of total natural miscarriages.

4. Secondary late miscarriage

• Patient has had a history of healthy pregnancies but has experienced a miscarriage that occurred from week 13 of gestation onwards. The most common cause for this type is due to cervical injuries/insufficiencies, accounting for 3% of total miscarriages.

Types of Miscarriage

Miscarriages are also categorized into different types according to their nature:

1. Complete miscarriages

This is defined as the complete expulsion of pregnancy tissue from the mother’s body, with no remaining tissues left in the uterine cavity.

2. Incomplete miscarriages

This is defined as the incomplete expulsion of pregnancy tissue from the mother’s body, meaning there is still some tissue left inside the uterine cavity.

3. Threatened Miscarriage

Patients start experiencing signs of a potential miscarriage that is about to occur, symptoms are vaginal bleeding and abdominal pains. With the right treatment and adequeate time, this type of miscarriage can still be prevented.

4. Fetal Demise/ Embryonic Demise or Silent Miscarriage (稽留流产)

This is a type of miscarriage where the embryo or fetus has already died in the mother’s body but has yet to be expelled from her body. Fetal demise occurs in the late miscarriage periods; Embryonic Demise occurs within early miscarriage periods

5. Retained miscarriage (嵌顿流产)

This is a critical type of miscarriage where the pregnancy tissue is expelled from the mother’s body, but the fetus or its attachments are “stuck” at the cervix neck, causing massive bleeding, potentially threatening the mother’s life.

6. Septic Miscarriage (感染性流产)

This miscarriage is caused when the mother develops an infection in the uterus which affects the pregnancy, symptoms include thick and odorous vaginal discharge, fever, flu like symptoms, vaginal bleeding etc.

Clinically they can be further separated into the following, according to the diagnosis of your miscarriage and the factors involved:

1. Single-factor miscarriage 

• Miscarriage is caused by a single factor.

2. Multiple-factor miscarriage

• There are 2 factors involved in the miscarriage.

3. Complex miscarriage 

• Caused by 3 factors and more, this is a complex form of miscarriage and needs thorough diagnosis and treatment.

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.