Scientists to test promising new cure for recurring miscarriages

A team of scientists in the UK will be testing if a simple course of antibiotics could be the answer to recurring miscarriages.

Scientists at the University of Warwick and University Hospital Coventry Research believe that an underlying infection may be to blame for recurring miscarriages – and that a simple course of antibiotics could be all that’s needed to stop the miscarriage from happening.

They have discovered that women who keep suffering a miscarriage have a condition called endometriosis – where their womb lining is inflamed, causing bleeding and pain.

Now they want to find out whether it can be fixed by a simple course of antibiotics – a treatment which is currently used to treat the condition in several countries around the world, including America and Germany.

After a miscarriage: How to cope with a miscarriage

Money for research

A total of £1.9 million has been given to the researchers by the National Institute of Health and the Medical Research Council to investigate further to see whether the treatment could help the 14,000 couples a year in England and Wales who experience two or more consecutive miscarriages.

While antibiotics are used in some countries to treat endometriosis, they haven’t been shown to be an effective treatment for recurring miscarriage.

The research teams are looking for 7,000 couples to take part in the study over the next two years.

Miscarriage – the facts

A miscarriage is a pregnancy that fails during the first 23 weeks. The main sign is vaginal bleeding, which may also be accompanied by pain and cramping. It can be a very emotional and physically exhausting experience.

The cause of miscarriage is usually unknown, although it’s believed that most are caused by abnormal chromosomes in the baby.

An estimated one in eight pregnancies end in miscarriage, and most women who have one go on to have a successful pregnancy in the future. But for some (around one in 100 women) they go on to lose three or more pregnancies in a row – which is called recurrent miscarriage. However, an estimated 80% of those women go on to have a successful pregnancy in the future.

Most miscarriages can’t be prevented but there are things which can reduce your risk, including not smoking, drinking alcohol or taking drugs when pregnant and keeping a healthy weight and eating a well balanced diet before becoming pregnant.