JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE APRIL ISSUE | Page 22

Its important for women to have a healthy pregnancy for their own safety and the safety of the baby. It is therefore imperative to know the early signs that your pregnancy is in danger in order to save both the life of the mother and that of the baby. What is a miscarriage? Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, which is defined as the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks, is the most common type of pregnancy loss. Statistics collected by ACOG reflect only the number of miscarriages in confirmed pregnancies; experts believe JOY FEELINGS MAG the actual number is much higher. "We estimate that about 30 to 40 percent of all conceptions result in a pregnancy loss," says.Helain Landy, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Hospital. "This is because many women miscarry before they know they're pregnant, or before it has been confirmed by a health-care provider." What Causes Miscarriage What causes one? Although it's common for a woman to wonder if she has miscarried because of Page 22