Abstract

Second trimester miscarriage (miscarriage after 12 weeks) is an uncommon complication of pregnancy. Causes can include atypical genetics in the fetus, early silent dilating of the cervix, or very preterm labour. We examined the outcomes in a next pregnancy in 175 women who had experienced second-trimester miscarriage. Among 110 women who became pregnant in the study period 2009–2016, 6.3% had a further second-trimester miscarriage; the preterm birth rate (baby born before 37 weeks) was also 6.3%. The first-trimester miscarriage rate was 24%. Most women had a healthy livebirth in their first pregnancy following second-trimester miscarriage with 81 babies born to 77 mothers (77/110; 70%). Women with a history of second-trimester miscarriage are at increased risk of a further second-trimester miscarriage and should be monitored carefully in their next pregnancy, particularly if they lost their baby after 18 weeks gestation, were diagnosed with a short cervix or went into labour very prematurely.