By Meletus EZE
Dr Ovo Ogbinaka, a physician at the Central Hospital, Ughelli, has warned women with early pregnancies to avoid works that may lead to miscarriage.
Ogbinaka gave the warning on Friday in Benin.
A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a woman’s pregnancy before the 20th week that can be both physically and emotionally painful.
The medical officer said: “Miscarriage usually happens during the first trimester or first three months of the pregnancy.
“Any miscarriage after three months, or between 14 to 26 weeks, are usually due to an underlying health condition in the mother,” he said.
He attributed more than 50 per cent of miscarriages to chromosome issues, adding that errors occur randomly when cells of the embryo divide or are due to a damaged egg or sperm cell.
Ogbinaka said that problems with the placenta can also lead to a miscarriage.
The physician identified types of miscarriages to include blighted ovum, complete miscarriage, incomplete miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, ectopic miscarriage and threatened miscarriage.
According to Ogbinaka, external health conditions, lifestyle habits and underlying conditions may also interfere with the foetus’ development, especially in the second trimester of pregnancy.
He listed the symptoms for miscarriage as mild to severe back pain, heavy spotting, vaginal bleeding, expulsion of tissue with clots from vagina, severe abdominal pain and cramps.
He listed poor diet or malnutrition, drugs and alcohol, advanced maternal age, untreated typhoid disease and uncontrolled diabetes as some causes of miscarriage.
Others are infection, trauma, obesity, problems with the cervix, abnormally shaped womb, severe high blood pressure, food poisoning and certain medications.
Ogbinaka therefore urged pregnant women to be sensitive to their health and also watch out for symptoms for early detection and management by certified medical personnel.
