Causes of Miscarriage

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Most women do not discover the cause of their miscarriage, since they are rarely investigated unless a woman suffers three or more. Although there is very little actually known about why many miscarriages happen, the main causes are thought to be:

Genetic: about half of all early miscarriages occur because of chance chromosomal abnormalities.
Hormonal: women with hormonal irregularities may find it harder to conceive and when they do, are more likely to miscarry.
Immunological: minor infections like colds are not harmful, but a very high temperature and some specific illnesses or infections, like German measles, may cause miscarriage.
Anatomical: if the cervix (neck of the uterus) is weak, it may start to open as the uterus becomes heavier in later pregnancy and this may lead to later miscarriage. An irregular- shaped uterus can mean that there is not enough room for the baby to grow. Large fibroids may cause miscarriage in later pregnancy.
Protein: lack of the protein Macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 is thought to play a role.