While miscarriage is undoubtedly a tragedy for the fetus, it also represents a profound physical and emotional blow for the mother. However, blindly attempting to preserve the pregnancy is not advisable; a rational decision must be made.Medically, pregnancy termination before 28 weeks with fetal weight under 1000 grams is termed miscarriage. Based on progression and severity, spontaneous abortion is classified as threatened miscarriage, inevitable miscarriage, incomplete miscarriage, complete miscarriage, or missed miscarriage.
What to Do When Experiencing Signs of Miscarriage (Public Health Network)
Threatened miscarriage presents as light vaginal bleeding after missed periods, often dark red or bloody discharge, without expulsion of pregnancy tissue. Mild lower abdominal pain or sacral discomfort may occur hours to days after bleeding. If symptoms subside with rest and treatment, pregnancy may continue; worsening symptoms may indicate impending inevitable miscarriage.Inevitable abortion occurs when threatened abortion progresses to increased vaginal bleeding, intensified abdominal pain, or rupture of the fetal membranes. At this stage, abortion is unavoidable, hence its alternative name: unavoidable abortion. Prompt hospital intervention is essential to remove residual tissue. Prolonged retention of placental tissue can form placental polyps, leading to recurrent bleeding, anemia, secondary infection, or more severe incomplete abortion.Incomplete abortion involves persistent heavy bleeding, which can be life-threatening if severe enough to cause shock. Immediate medical attention is required in such cases. Another outcome of threatened abortion is complete abortion, where all pregnancy tissue is expelled and bleeding gradually stops. If no infection occurs, no special treatment is necessary. Some expectant mothers believe that pregnancy-sustaining medications can prevent threatened abortion. However, these medications cannot prevent miscarriage in all cases of threatened abortion.Whether medication can be used to preserve the pregnancy requires a case-by-case analysis based on individual circumstances. Multiple factors can cause miscarriage. One is defects in the fertilized egg itself, where the embryo fails to develop or develops abnormally. Chromosomal abnormalities, placental abnormalities, or fetal developmental issues can all lead to miscarriage within the first three months of pregnancy.Another cause is the mother's own medical conditions, such as uterine fibroids, uterine hypoplasia, severe anemia, cardiovascular disease, renal hypertension, herpes, rubella, etc., all of which may lead to miscarriage. Therefore, when signs of miscarriage appear, expectant mothers should immediately seek medical attention at a hospital and follow the doctor's advice to decide whether to pursue pregnancy preservation or termination.Generally, if examinations reveal fetal abnormalities and the doctor recommends a D&C (dilation and curettage), delaying the procedure is inadvisable. This prevents excessive blood loss or the development of internal reproductive organ inflammation that could affect future fertility. Expectant mothers should understand that in such cases, most miscarried embryos typically have congenital defects and represent natural selection. Blindly attempting to preserve the pregnancy could cause greater harm.