Miscarriage

A miscarriage is diagnosed with:

• A Reference pelvic exam Opens New Window, which allows the doctor to see whether the Reference cervix Opens New Window is opening (dilating) or whether there is tissue or blood in the cervical opening or the vagina.
• A blood test, which checks the level of the pregnancy hormone called Reference human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Your doctor may take several measurements of hCG levels over a period of days to learn whether your pregnancy is still progressing.
• An Reference ultrasound, which helps your doctor find out whether the amniotic sac is intact, detect a fetal heartbeat, and estimate the age of the fetus.

If you have not had a blood test before, you may have one to see if you have Reference Rh-negative Opens New Window blood.

Recurrent miscarriage. If you have three or more miscarriages, your doctor can test for possible causes, including:^{Reference 3}

• Testing your blood for antibodies to check for Reference antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
• Using a Reference karyotype to test your blood for parental Reference chromosome Opens New Window abnormalities.
• Testing hormone levels to check for Reference polycystic ovary syndrome Opens New Window.
• Using Reference hysteroscopy Opens New Window or pelvic Reference ultrasound Opens New Window to check for problems with uterine structure.

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