A miscarriage can be caused by many factors, one of which is stress. New research conducted in the US has revealed that women under extreme stress are three times more likely to miscarry during the early weeks of their pregnancy (about the first three weeks) compared to those who aren’t.
Stress-induced hormones tied to miscarriage
In a recent study, Dr Pablo A Nepomnaschy from the National Institute of Health in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, along with his colleagues studied the hormonal levels found in the urine of 16 women in a rural Guatemalan community.
During the one-year research period, the urine of these women was checked three times a week for evidence of the stress-induced hormone called cortisol.
This study is the first ever to find a correlation between the increase of cortisol levels in a woman’s body and the incidence of miscarriage.
Previous studies on stress and miscarriage proven to be scientifically incorrect
Previous scientific reports have indicated that 31-89% of all conceptions ended in miscarriages. However, most of those studies were conducted when the women were already pregnant, in fact six weeks into their pregnancies.
However, according to Nepomnaschy, almost every miscarriage occurs during the first three weeks of pregnancy, making all previous research flawed. So Nepomnaschy’s study focussed on collecting and testing the urine samples of women prior to them conceiving.
16 women, aged 18 to 34, with 22 pregnancies were part of the study. Scientists measured the cortisol levels of each woman against their own baseline levels.
Finally, researchers came to the conclusion that 90% of those with higher levels of cortisol, tended to miscarry in the first three weeks of pregnancy compared to 33% of those whose levels were normal.
Additionally, it is said that the body can recognise the unfavourable condition of pregnancy when cortisol levels increase.
The role of cortisol remains unknown
It has been consistently proven that increasing cortisol levels result in the decrease of progesterone levels in pregnant women.
However, scientists are still unable to shed light on the direct involvement of cortisol in miscarriages or if cortisol triggers other mechanisms in the body that results in a miscarriage.
This article first appeared in hellodoktor.com and was reviewed by Dr Duyen Le. The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.