What is a miscarriage?
Q: What is a miscarriage?
A: A miscarriage is the natural death of an embryo or fetus in the womb, before it is old enough to live on its own, outside the mother.
Q: What are the medical words for a miscarriage?
A: The medical words for a miscarriage are spontaneous abortion.
Q: What does "spontaneous" mean in relation to miscarriage?
A: "Spontaneous" means something that a person did not expect to happen.
Q: What is the definition of an abortion?
A: An "abortion" is when a pregnancy ends early, before birth.
Q: How many women who know they are pregnant have miscarriages?
A: Among women who know they are pregnant, about 15-20% have miscarriages, meaning that up to 1 in 5 women who know they are pregnant miscarry.
Q: Is miscarriage a common complication in early pregnancy in humans?
A: Yes, miscarriage is the most common complication (serious problem) that happens in early pregnancy in humans.
Q: At what stage of pregnancy does a miscarriage occur?
A: A miscarriage can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but it typically occurs in the first trimester (within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy).
