Miscarriage rates 'over 40% higher' in black women

Black women face a significantly higher risk of having a miscarriage than white, research suggests.

The Lancet analysis of data on 4.6 million pregnancies in seven countries suggests being black increases miscarriage risk by 43%. 

It calls for people in the UK to be given support after their first pregnancy loss. Currently, referral to specialist clinics usually occurs after three consecutive losses only.

Most countries, including the UK, do not collect statistics, but researchers estimate:

• 15% of pregnancies end in loss
• 1% of women will experience recurrent miscarriage.

Some estimates of miscarriage rate are higher, but this is due to differences in how countries define pregnancy loss, which can be from a positive pregnancy test or from a scan.

The report also found that women who suffered miscarriage, from all ethnic backgrounds, are more vulnerable to long-term health problems, such as blood clots, heart disease and depression.

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Source: BBC News, 27 April 2021