Pregnancy is considered to be one of the most life changing experiences a woman can ever have. It gives expecting mothers the thrill they haven't experienced before. From the very first ultrasound result, the sound of the heartbeat up to the first kick will tell that the baby is healthy. However, recent statistics show that one in 100 women suffer sudden miscarriages or a series of miscarriages that leave them with questions they try so hard to answer.
Just recently, a group of scientists found that stem cells in the lining of the womb are the ones that cause women to suffer from recurring miscarriages (the loss of at least 3 or more consecutive pregnancies), something that can hopefully lead to the treatment for this condition.
According to dnaindia.com, Prof. Jan Brosens at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom explained that the patients they studied already had the defect before they got pregnant that's why they suffered from recurrent miscarriages. "I can envisage that we will be able to correct these defects before the patient tries to achieve another pregnancy. In fact, this may be the only way to really prevent miscarriages in these cases," he added.
Medical Daily reported that Brosens and his colleagues analyzed tissue samples from 183 donors being treated in the university's hospital from multiple miscarriages. The researchers discovered that the "epigenetic signature" that is typical of stem cells was absent in the tissue samples. Normally, after every menstrual cycle, miscarriages, and birth, the lining of the uterus restores itself.
A shortage in the number of stem cells in there indicates a quick aging of the said lining. It was also found that this may cause an increased risk of miscarriage. They also found that even if the lining of the womb is enough for an embryo to implant, the surrounding cells are not able to support the development of the embryo. Brosens also emphasized: "Cultured cells from women who had had three or more consecutive miscarriages showed that ageing cells in the lining of the womb don't have the ability to prepare adequately for pregnancy."
The researchers believe that the information they have will be able to develop a treatment to prevent pregnancy loss. They hope to correct these defects before the patient tries to have another pregnancy.
