Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jun;125(6):1313-1320.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000859.

A national survey on public perceptions of miscarriage

Jonah Bardos  1 , Daniel Hercz, Jenna Friedenthal, Stacey A Missmer, Zev Williams
Affiliations

A national survey on public perceptions of miscarriage

Jonah Bardos et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To assess attitudes and perceptions of U.S. survey respondents regarding prevalence, causes, and emotional effects of miscarriage.

Methods: We used a questionnaire consisting of 33 questions administered in January of 2013 to men and women aged 18-69 years across the United States.

Results: Participants from 49 states completed the questionnaire: 45% male and 55% female (N=1,084). Fifteen percent reported they or their partner experienced at least one miscarriage. Fifty-five percent of respondents believed that miscarriage occurred in 5% or less of all pregnancies. Commonly believed causes of miscarriage included a stressful event (76%), lifting a heavy object (64%), previous use of an intrauterine device (28%), or oral contraceptives (22%). Of those who had a miscarriage, 37% felt they had lost a child, 47% felt guilty, 41% reported feeling that they had done something wrong, 41% felt alone, and 28% felt ashamed. Nineteen percent fewer people felt they had done something wrong when a cause for the miscarriage was found. Seventy-eight percent of all participants reported wanting to know the cause of their miscarriage, even if no intervention could have prevented it from occurring. Disclosures of miscarriages by public figures assuaged feelings of isolation for 28% of respondents. Level of education and gender had a significant effect on perceptions and understanding of miscarriage.

Conclusion: Respondents to our survey erroneously believed that miscarriage is a rare complication of pregnancy, with the majority believing that it occurred in 5% or less of all pregnancies. There were also widespread misconceptions about causes of miscarriage. Those who had experienced a miscarriage frequently felt guilty, isolated, and alone. Identifying a potential cause of the miscarriage may have an effect on patients' psychological and emotional responses.

Level of evidence: II.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Respondent beliefs on the causes of miscarriage.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Respondent beliefs on the causes of miscarriage, by educational status.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Self reported emotional response after experiencing miscarriage.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Katz VL. Spontaneous and recurrent abortion: etiology, diagnosis, treatment. In: Katz VL, Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, editors. Comprehensive Gynecology. 6. Philadelphia (PA): Elsevier Mosby; 2012. pp. 335–359.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Reports. 7. Vol. 60. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2012.
    1. Kluger-Bell K. Unspeakable Losses: Healing from Miscarriage, Abortion and Other Pregnancy Losses. New York (NY): William Morrow Paperbacks; 2000.
    1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. FAQ 100. Washington, D.C: American College of Obstetricians; 2013.
    1. Benn P. Prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities through amniocentesis. In: Milunsky A, editor. Genetic disorders and the fetus. 6. Baltimore (MD): The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2010. p. 199.

Publication types