Blood test after early miscarriage could reveal cause and aid prevention

A groundbreaking Danish study has revealed that a blood test taken after a miscarriage as early as the fifth week of pregnancy can help determine the cause and potentially lead to preventative treatments. One in 10 women experience pregnancy loss, a number that increases in countries where pregnancies occur later in a woman’s childbearing years.

Henriette Svarre Nielsen, a Danish gynaecologist, and her team of researchers have recently published their findings in The Lancet. The study shows that a blood sample taken from the mother soon after a miscarriage can identify if the foetus had a chromosome anomaly. In Denmark, such tests are typically only offered after a woman has experienced three miscarriages and only if they occurred after the tenth pregnancy week.

As part of the ongoing study, all women who have suffered a miscarriage and visited the Hvidovre hospital emergency room are now offered the blood test. Over 75% of them have accepted so far. The blood test is sent to the hospital lab, where the foetus’ DNA is isolated, sequenced, and analysed to see if it carries a chromosome anomaly, which is the case in about 50 to 60% of miscarriages, reported Bangkok Post.

Doctors can assess if some abnormalities are more severe than others and estimate the likelihood of future miscarriages. If no abnormalities are detected, a thorough investigation for potential causes, such as hormonal imbalances, endocrine disorders, coagulation issues, or lifestyle factors, is conducted. Once a cause is identified, medical professionals can evaluate the risks and develop a treatment strategy.

The Copenhagen Pregnancy Loss (COPL) project, initiated in 2020, is still ongoing and expected to create a unique database on various illnesses, due to the large cohort of 1,700 women participating so far. Svarre Nielsen believes that the study’s results could ultimately contribute to preventing 5% of the 30 million miscarriages that occur globally every year.