Health Topic

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. Read about symptoms and how to cope if you've suffered a miscarriage.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Spontaneous abortion

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Miscarriage

A miscarriage is an unexpected loss of pregnancy before the 20th week. Most miscarriages happen very early in the pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

A miscarriage can happen in any pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus doesn't develop properly. This is often linked to a genetic problem with the fetus, such as an extra or missing chromosome.

In many cases, the cause of a miscarriage is unknown. Some possible factors that may increase the chance of a miscarriage can include:

  • Problems with the uterus or cervix
  • Chronic diseases, including polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Genetic problems with the fetus
  • Pregnancy after 35 years of age
  • Smoking, drug or alcohol use
  • Certain chronic (long-term) health conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes
  • Severe malnutrition

The signs of a miscarriage may be different for everyone and can vary based on how far along you are in your pregnancy.

Signs of a miscarriage can include:

  • Vaginal spotting or bleeding with or without pain. Some women may have some spotting in early pregnancy and don't miscarry. To be sure, contact your provider right away if you have any bleeding.
  • Dark-colored vaginal discharge.
  • A gush of fluid or tissue from your vagina.
  • Cramping or pain in your abdomen (belly) or lower back.

Sometimes, it's hard to know what's normal during pregnancy. If something seems unusual or is worrying you, talk to your provider.

To check if you have had a miscarriage, your provider may do the following:

  • A pelvic exam to check your cervix.
  • Blood tests to check things such as the amount of blood loss and confirm pregnancy.
  • An ultrasound to check the fetus.

Treatment after a miscarriage often depends on when it occurs during the pregnancy. If you miscarry early in your pregnancy, you may not need any treatment. If you are 12 or more weeks pregnant, you may need a shot to prevent problems with the Rh factor in future pregnancies.

In some cases, tissue is left in the uterus. If you don't have any signs of infection, your provider may recommend waiting for the tissue to pass naturally. If you need treatment to remove the tissue, it can include:

  • Medicines
  • A procedure called dilatation and curettage (D&C) or vacuum aspiration

No matter when it occurs, losing a pregnancy can be difficult. Counseling may help you cope with your grief. Later, if you decide to try to get pregnant again, talk with your provider to understand any risks. Many women who have a miscarriage go on to have healthy pregnancies later.

Miscarriage can affect anyone and often can't be prevented. Focus on taking good care of yourself and start prenatal care visits early in your pregnancy.

It sits within Women, Pregnancy and Reproduction and Female Reproductive System.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Miscarriage

326 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Related Issues

Genetics

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Women

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Abortion, Spontaneous. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Miscarriage, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.