Experts may have finally determined the exact cause of miscarriage and in doing so, they have turned to a 15-minute procedure for the treatment, particularly with repeated miscarriages. The technique could help ease the agony and pain that many women undergo and also potentially reduce the risks of a miscarriage.
Scientists from the University of Warwick discovered that thousands of women experience miscarriages. This is because of the depletion of stem cells in the womb.
"The lining of the womb in the recurrent miscarriage patients we studied is already defective before pregnancy," said Obstetrics & Gynaecology professor Jan Brosen in a press release. The experts have sought to fix the problem with an existing procedure that is already being administered at IVF clinics.
Miscarriage Cause And Stem Cells
Brosen's team studied tissue samples for 183 women who have been receiving fertility treatments at various facilities. They discovered that a common "epigentic signature" in the stem cells was not present for those who have had a miscarriage.
The scientists also learned that the stem cells diminish as the woman ages, which increases her chances of not completing the pregnancy on full term. After going through the usual menstrual cycle, a pregnancy or miscarriage, a woman's womb has to biologically regenerate its stem cells. But for some women who aspire to conceive, this process doesn't always happen.
The 15-Minute Miscarriage Treatment
The experts believe that using a pipelle, which is a tool that is inserted into the cervix to scratch the endometrium, could trigger the release and regeneration of stem cells in the womb. This is part of a process called decidualization, which IVF clinics perform to make the uterus healthier for implantation and it only takes 15 minutes.
"This is the first time this approach has been used in women with recurrent miscarriage, and if it is successful, it would be a major advance," said research co-author Siobhan Quenby, per Daily Mail. The research is still in its early stages but it is the expert's hope to learn more about this technique as an option for miscarriage treatment.
Study Brings More Hope For The Future
For now, the study is focusing on coming up with how this test could facilitate miscarriage screenings for women. It is also aiming to find medications and other interventions that could mimic endometrial scratch, a process that aids in embryo implantation post-IVF, as per Central Manchester University Hospitals.
"I can envisage that we will be able to correct these defects before the patient tries to achieve another pregnancy," said Brosen in the press release. "In fact, this may be the only way to really prevent miscarriages in these cases," he added. Watch Brosen talk about their research in this video below:
