Evaluating the Clinical Risk Factors Associated With Miscarriages in Women in Karachi, Pakistan

Cureus. 2021 Oct 26;13(10):e19057. doi: 10.7759/cureus.19057. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Abstract

Introduction Spontaneous pregnancy loss is unquestionably common worldwide, with roughly 5% of pregnancies ending in this way. Miscarriage can lead to serious psychological issues for women as well as their mothers. Although, it is irreversible but can be prevented through proper risk assessment of women. The goal of this study is to find clinical predictors of miscarriages in Karachi, Pakistani women. Methodology The study is a retrospective chart review that used data of women having livebirth and miscarriages at the Liaquat National Hospital Karachi Pakistan. Data of a total of 517 women were included in the study, out of which 453 have had a live birth, and 64 had miscarriages. To determine the factors associated with miscarriages, multivariable logistic regression was used. Results The mean age of women was 31.08 (±5.10) years. Age of mother over 40 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=10.28; p-value=0.001), overweight and obesity (AOR=3.01; p-value=0.001) and history of miscarriage (AOR=2.91; p-value=0.003) are variables significantly associated with miscarriages. Conclusion Findings of the current study shown that risk factors of miscarriages included age of mother, increased BMI and previous history of miscarriages. All these factors need to be considered while providing antenatal care to mothers to mitigate the risk of miscarriages.

Keywords: miscarriages; pakistan; pregnancy loss; risk analysis; risk factors.