Miscarriage

TL;DR: Miscarriage is classified into threatened, inevitable, incomplete, complete and missed miscarriages. The classification is based on the severity of symptoms and the presence of certain clinical findings.

Abstract: Classification of miscarriage Threatened miscarriage: mild symptoms of bleeding. Usually little or no pain. The cervical os is closed. Inevitable miscarriage: usually presents with heavy bleeding with clots and pain. The cervical os is open. The pregnancy will not continue and will proceed to incomplete or complete miscarriage. Incomplete miscarriage: this occurs when the products of conception are partially expelled. Many incomplete miscarriages can be unrecognised missed miscarriages. Complete miscarriage: presents with a history of confirmed intrauterine pregnancy, followed by heavy bleeding and clots but a subsequent ultrasound scan shows no pregnancy tissue in the uterine cavity. (If the pregnancy has not previously been confirmed as intrauterine on an ultrasound scan, it is described as a 'pregnancy of unknown location'.) Missed miscarriage: the fetus is dead but retained. Also described as early fetal demise, empty sac or blighted ovum.The uterus is small for dates. A pregnancy test can remain positive for several days or even weeks in some cases. It presents with a history of threatened miscarriage and persistent, darkbrown discharge. Early pregnancy symptoms may have decreased or gone. Habitual or recurrent miscarriage: three or more consecutive miscarriages.