There is no single treatment that can prevent every kind of miscarriage, just as there is no single cause of miscarriage. However, some treatments have been shown to improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy in particular cases – and of course there are some general guidelines about reducing the risk of miscarriage.

Some miscarriages are caused by chance (e.g. a chromosome abnormality in the baby) and cannot be predicted or prevented. Fortunately, they are not very likely to happen again. Some causes of miscarriage cannot be treated because as there is no way of changing the basic problem (e.g. a problem with the parents’ chromosomes), but parents may be advised to consider other options (like using donor eggs or sperm). But in most cases, couples have no idea why they have miscarried, so there is no treatment to recommend.

This can feel frustrating, especially since every now and again, there is a story in the press about a new treatment for miscarriage. There’s also a great deal of information on the Internet about miscarriage causes and treatments. The problem is that it can be difficult to judge how accurate this information is, as many investigations and treatments which are reported have not been properly studied or assessed. So while some treatments might be useful in some cases, they may not be suitable for you. Others may not be effective, or they may even be harmful.

If you have any questions or doubts about what you have read or heard, you might like to:

• talk to your doctor, or
• contact us
• read our leaflet: Investigations following recurrent pregnancy loss , or
• read the patient information produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists