Six-month delay after miscarriage 'not needed'

WOMEN DON’T need to delay getting pregnant after miscarriage, research carried out at the University of Aberdeen has found.

The study of 30,000 women who miscarried and subsequently had a successful pregnancy found that those who conceive within six months of an initial miscarriage have the best chance of having a healthy pregnancy with the lowest complication rates.

The study contradicts World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines which recommend women should wait six months before conceiving.

Dr Cathy Allen, a consultant gynaecologist at Holles Street hospital, said: “We would never tell a patient to delay, but all advice needs to be individualised. Physically, the body can recover quite quickly, but psychologically it may take longer.”

Author of the study, Dr Sohinee Bhattacharya, said she was surprised that WHO guidelines, based on a study conducted in Latin American a decade ago, have not been updated. She said the Aberdeen Hospital and others advise women to try again “when you feel ready”.

A spokesperson for the HSE said: “We don’t issue a general timeline. The clinical reason behind every miscarriage needs to be looked at. We would encourage women to consult their GP first.”

The study also found that women who have miscarried are not only at an increased risk of a second miscarriage, but also of complications in a subsequent pregnancy. About one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage before 24 weeks.

Dr Bhattacharya said the findings were particularly important for older mothers.

“Women over 35 are more likely to experience difficulties in conceiving and women aged 40 years have a 30 per cent chance of miscarriage, which rises to 50 per cent in those aged 45 years or more.

“Any delay in attempting conception could further decrease their chance of a healthy baby.”

The results also showed that women who conceived again within six months were less likely to have another miscarriage, termination of pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy compared to women who got pregnant between six and 12 months after their initial miscarriage.

Women who conceived within six months were also less likely to undergo a Caesarean section, deliver prematurely or have low birth weight babies.