Miscarriage

Examinations and Tests

A miscarriage is diagnosed with:

• A pelvic examination, which allows the health professional to see whether the cervix is opening (dilating) or whether there is tissue or blood in the cervical opening or the vagina.
• A blood test, which checks the level of the pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Your health professional may take several measurements of hCG levels over a period of days to learn whether your pregnancy is still progressing.
• An ultrasound, which helps to determine whether the amniotic sac is intact, detect a fetal heartbeat, and estimate the age of the fetus.

If you have not had one before, you may have a blood test to see if you have Rh-negative blood.

Recurrent miscarriage. If you have three or more miscarriages, your health professional can test for possible causes, including:^{9, 10}

• Testing your blood for antibodies to check for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
• Using a karyotype to test your blood for parental chromosome abnormalities.
• Testing hormone levels to check for polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Using hysteroscopy or pelvic ultrasound to check for problems with uterine structure.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley	Last Updated: June 28, 2007
Medical Review:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
© 1995-2008 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.