Early care scheme could prevent thousands of miscarriages a year
Summary
A new early care program at Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital offers earlier help to women after one miscarriage rather than waiting for three. This approach includes tests, hormone treatment, and lifestyle advice, aiming to reduce the number of miscarriages and improve support for women.Key Facts
- In England, women usually qualify for specialist miscarriage care only after three miscarriages.
- One in five pregnancies end in miscarriage, mostly before 14 weeks.
- The Birmingham pilot project starts care after a first miscarriage, offering tests and treatments like progesterone and aspirin.
- The study involved 406 women, split into standard care and early care groups.
- The early care group showed a small drop in miscarriage rates and received better support after losses.
- About 20% of women in the study had treatable health issues affecting pregnancy, such as thyroid problems or anemia.
- Researchers estimate that if applied nationally, this approach could prevent around 10,000 miscarriages annually.
- The project also includes personalized advice on lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and reducing alcohol.
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