Recurrent miscarriage

Over three decades, the recurrent miscarriage service at St Mary’s Hospital has advocated the importance of this previously neglected area of reproductive medicine.

Clinical and laboratory research performed in our unit has transformed the investigation, counselling and treatment of couples with recurrent miscarriages.

Miscarriage is the most common complication of pregnancy and accounts for the majority of acute female presentations to primary and secondary healthcare services in the UK.

At least 25 to 50 per cent of all women will experience one or more early miscarriages before 10 weeks of gestation. Many of these are due to embryo/foetal chromosomal abnormalities, the incidence of which increases with rising maternal age.

Conditions and treatments

Recurrent miscarriage (RM) which is defined as more than three consecutive pregnancy losses, affects one per cent of couples trying to have a baby and is accompanied by significant psychological morbidity.

Treatments we offer

• management of recurrent miscarriages and sub-fertility
• specialist uterine surgery – intra-uterine adhesions (Ashermann’s syndrome)/ septum division / fibroids
• clinical trials
• counselling
• dedicated early pregnancy service
• specialist antenatal clinic