When you and your husband decided to start trying for a baby, you never imagined you would run into any problems, or that it would take you long to conceive. Although you did indeed conceive within a few months, you ended up losing the pregnancy a few weeks later. After deciding to try again, the same thing happened once more. You and your partner are both healthy, so what on earth could be wrong?

There are many causes of recurrent miscarriage, and one may occur even if both you and your partner are young and healthy. One of the causes behind this problem is an abnormality of the hormones.

If this is a problem you are experiencing, then learning more about the hormonal causes behind miscarriage can help you feel better equipped to deal with the situation.

So, here are some of the hormonal causes behind recurrent miscarriage:

Diabetes

Although it is now well known that well-controlled diabetes is not an important cause of miscarriage, a woman with poorly controlled diabetes has a higher risk of miscarriage and of their baby developing a serious feral abnormality. This is why it is important for diabetic women to properly control their sugar levels during their pregnancy.

Thyroid problems

Doctors generally believe that screening recurrent miscarriage sufferers for previously undiagnosed thyroid disease isn’t particularly helpful. However, it has also been found that recurrent miscarriage patients seem to have a greater tendency for the precedes of thyroid autoantibodies in their blood. This is a correlation that is still being researched.

Hyperparathyroidism

After diabetes and thyroid disease, primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is the 3rd most common hormonal disorder, with women much more likely to be affected than men. This hormonal disorder has been associated with pre-eclampsia, IUG restriction, premature delivery, neonatal tetany and an increased risk of miscarriage.

Progesterone deficiency

Progesterone hormone is essential for the early stages of pregnancy to be a success. We now know that a lack of it can determine the outcome of an early pregnancy. This is why injections of progesterone hormone are often used when a pregnancy is at risk, in the hopes of preventing a miscarriage.

Hormonal events before ovulation

Another cause of miscarriage that is related to hormones is hormonal events that occur before ovulation. They dictate the quality of the lateral phase of the cycle, and therefore determine whether a fertilised egg will implant successfully in the womb lining.

High LH levels

If the levels of LH are too high during the follicular phase of the cycle, then problems can occur with a pregnancy. Not only do high LH levels compromise fertility, but they also risk the embryos being less likely to implant in the womb and miscarrying as a result.

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovaries is a common problem that many women experience. The ovaries themselves are usually larger in size than normal ovaries, and contain more follicles. Polycystic ovary syndrome can cause difficulties in becoming pregnant, and can cause recurrent miscarriage. This is because high LH levels - which is a risk factor for miscarriage - are found in women with polycystic ovaries.

Androgens and recurrent miscarriage

Over the years, researchers have cited that high androgen levels (such as testosterone and androstenedione) are good indicators of women with polycystic ovaries who would be likely to have miscarriage issues. This is because women who recurrently miscarry have higher androgen levels, making the likelihood of them going on to miscarry early on in their pregnancy higher.

Prolactin and recurrent miscarriage

Researchers have also looked into the relationship between prolactin levels and women that have recurrent miscarriages. They found that marginally elevated prolactin levels may be more common in women with a history of this issue.

Uterine natural killer cells

Uterine natural killer cells (uNK) have been identified as having an important role in making the endometrium ready for an embryo to implant. Therefore, it is important a woman has a healthy number of them.

Peripheral natural killer cells

Peripheral natural killer cells are a controversial topic when it comes to miscarriage, as there is a lack of evidence as to how much these maternal immune cells contribute to infertility or recurrent miscarriage. However, a large industry has been developed to treat women who have high levels of these killer cells in their blood or uterus.

What are the hormonal causes behind recurrent miscarriage?

Unii looks at a heartbreaking question for any parent.