Miscarriage: Exams And Tests

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Exams and Tests

A miscarriage is diagnosed with:

• A pelvic exam, which allows the health professional to see whether the cervix is opening (dilating) or whether there is tissue or blood in the cervical opening or the vagina.
• A blood test, which checks the level of the pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Your health professional may take several measurements of hCG levels over a period of days to learn whether your pregnancy is still progressing.
• An ultrasound, which helps to determine whether the amniotic sac is intact, detect a fetal heartbeat, and estimate the age of the fetus.

If you have not had one before, you may have a blood test to see if you have Rh-negative blood.

Recurrent miscarriage. If you have three or more miscarriages, your health professional can test for possible causes, including:^{9 10}

• Testing your blood for antibodies to check for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
• Using a karyotype to test your blood for parental chromosome abnormalities.
• Testing hormone levels to check for polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Using hysteroscopy or pelvic ultrasound to check for problems with uterine structure.

Last updated:	May 09, 2007
Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC