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Chapter 25 - Evaluation and Management of Recurrent Miscarriage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2019

Jane A. Stewart
Affiliation:
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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Summary

The spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the viable gestation is termed miscarriage. Miscarriage therefore includes all pregnancy losses from conception until 23 completed weeks of pregnancy. It remains the commonest adverse outcome of pregnancy and can either be sporadic or recurrent (RM). Currently, no consensus exists on the definition of RM. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guideline defines RM as the loss of three or more consecutive pregnancies [1]. However, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has adopted the definition of consecutive loss of two or more clinical pregnancies, documented either by ultrasonography or histopathological examination [2]. RM can be either ‘primary’ (no previous live birth) or ‘secondary’ (following a live birth).

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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