Women with condition more likely to suffer a miscarriage - Fertility doctors say

June 15, 2015 5:35 PM

Endometriosis whose symptoms include painful periods and stomach pain can be hard to identify and is thought to affect between 2% and 10% of women.

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Fertility doctors have said women with endometriosis are more likely to suffer a miscarriage.

Endometriosis which is is caused by the lining of the uterus being found elsewhere in the body including the ovaries or vagina, also cause sufferers to require extra care during pregnancy.

According to BBC, a study, on nearly 15,000 people in Scotland, found the condition increased the risk of miscarriage by 76%.

Analysing data from 5,375 women with endometriosis and 8,280 healthy women, the odds of an ectopic pregnancy, in which the foetus develops outside the womb, doubled from 0.6% normally to 1.6% in the case of people endometriosis.

Also, the chance of miscarriage increased by 76%, a premature birth by 26% and the need for a cesarean section by 40%.

It is thought changes to the way the uterus functions as well as increased inflammation were damaging the pregnancy.

Dr Lucky Saraswat, who will present the findings at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology said early diagnosis of the condition and intervention can greatly improve outcomes for women with the condition.

She further said such women may need extra monitoring, such as more ultrasound scans, during the pregnancy.

British Fertility Society chairman Prof Adam Balen added that endometriosis was a lifelong condition and could be difficult to treat.

He added that the condition could be treated surgically or with hormones which are contraceptive at the same time.

Said Balen,

"If a woman wants to get pregnant and it's fairly mild you may try and treat it surgically and allow her to conceive naturally. Or they may end up needing IVF in which case you use hormone suppression."