Did you know that most people believe miscarriages are usually the mother’s fault? I know, it shocked us too. Because those of us who have been through pregnancy and miscarriages (or work for a parenting website) know better.
Nevertheless, a new survey out of Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University shows that an alarming number of people have serious misconceptions about miscarriages. In fact, the majority of respondents believed less than 5% of pregnancies end in miscarriages, and that they are largely caused by things like stress, arguments, alcohol and tobacco use, and other things that can be generally attributed to neglect on the mother’s part.
The reality is that something like 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and that’s only counting pregnancies that are lost within the first 20 weeks of gestation. It is the most common pregnancy complication, and it is largely caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. So, you know, stuff that is OUT of the mother’s control.
Read the rest of NPR’s story on the survey here.
