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Recurrent Abortion
Definition
Habitual abortion, recurrent miscarriage or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is the occurrence of three or more pregnancies that end in miscarriage of the fetus, usually before 20 weeks of gestation. RPL affects about 0.34% of women who conceive.
Cause of Recurrent Abortion
- Uterine defects (congenital anomalies, submucous and intramural leiomyomas, polyps, intrauterine adhesions)
- Cervical incompetence
- Infections
- Endocrine causes (luteal phase defects, polycystic ovary disease, thyroid abnormalities, diabetes)
- Chromosomal abnormalities (translocations, inversions)
- Severe maternal illness (Wilson's disease, maternal phenylketonuria, cyanotic heart disease, hematologic disorders [hemoglobinopathies or aplastic anemia], inflammatory bowel disease, neoplasia)
- Autoimmune disease, antiphospholipid syndrome
- Thrombophilic defects
- Alloimmune disease (shared parental histocompatibility)
- Chemicals, X-rays, and other noxious agents
- Psychological factors
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