Miscarriage and Clomid

Many miscarriages are NOT preventable, and are due to chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo. However, many miscarriages ARE preventable and a thorough workup can help prevent future miscarriages. A glucose tolerance test and thyroid test are essential. Also important are luteal phase measurements of progesterone and estrogen. Although some experts do not believe that luteal phase defects are a real entity, when hormones are measured with proper frequency and timing (from the day of ovulation) there are significant differences among women that correlate with miscarriages. Clomid is one of the methods of treating luteal phase insufficiency. Others are progesterone in its various forms (oral, vaginal and injectable), as well as the injectable drug HCG. Clomid can significantly reduce cervical mucus and thin the lining of the uterus, but there are measures that can be taken to check or counteract these problems. Using low dose Clomid (25 mg.) rather than higher doses is one of these measures. I would not worry about ovarian cancer with a few cycles of Clomid.

Other treatable causes of miscarriage are ureaplasma-mycoplasma colonization. This bacteria occurs in many normal women but is associated with a higher rate of pregnancy loss. Treating both partners helps reduce miscarriage 25% in subsequent pregnancies over controls. Finally, the thrombophilias, a group of disorders in which abnormal proteins are formed which cause clots in the placenta (or problems such as thromboplebities or pulmonary embolism) are a complex and newly appreciated cause of miscarriage, They are treated with low dose aspirin or in some instances injectable blood thinners.

Dr. Mary Davenport