Can a metabolic condition cause recurrent miscarriages?

• Introduction
• Abortion
• Amenorrhoea
• Birth Control
• Bladder Symptoms
• Cancer in Women
• Childbirth
• Children and Teenagers
• Diet / Weight Loss
• Dysmenorrhoea
• Endometriosis
• Fibroids
• HRT
• Hirsutism
• Hysterectomy
• Infections
• Infertility
• Medication Drugs
• Menopause
• Menorrhagia
• Miscarriage
• Definition
• Prevalence
• Cause
• Symptoms
• Types of Miscarriage
• Spontaneous Miscarriage
• Threatened Miscarriage
• Treatment of Miscarriage
• Recurrent Miscarriage
• Miscarriage and Depression
• Ectopic Pregnancy
• Blighted Ovum
• Hydatidiform Mole
• Pregnancy Tests
• Pregnancy after Miscarriage
• Support Groups
• Painful Sex
• Pap Smear Test
• PCOS
• Pelvic Pain
• PMS
• Postpartum
• Pregnancy
• Self Esteem
• Sexual Problems
• Vaginal Discharge
• Vaginal Prolapse
• Vulval Symptoms

Authors:

Institution

Dr. A.E. Nicoll,University ofGlasgow, Department of Obstetrics Gynaecology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary,Glasgow G31 2ER;United Kingdom.

Title:

Association of reduced selenium status in the aetiology of recurrent miscarriage. (1999 2871)

Source:

British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Vol 106(11) (pp188-1191), 1999.

Abstract:

Objective. To determine whether recurrent miscarriage is associated with reduced selenium status. Design. Case-control study. Setting. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,Glasgow Royal Infirmary andGlasgowRoyalMaternityHospital. Population. Twenty nonpregnant women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage, and 47 nonpregnant parous women with a history of at least one successful pregnancy and no more than one miscarriage. Methods. A 7 mL blood sample from each woman was collected into lithium heparin 'vacutainer' tubes. Samples were centrifuged at 3000 g for 15 minutes, and plasma was extracted and stored at -20 [degree] C. Selenium concentrations were measured using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The selenium concentrations in the two groups were compared and the differences examined using the Student's t test. Main outcome measures. Plasma selenium concentration (mug/L).

Results:

The mean selenium concentration for women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage was 67.7 mug/L (SD 16.4). The selenium level for the women with no history of recurrent miscarriage was 70.3 mug/L (SD 12.7). There was no difference in selenium concentrations between the two groups (P = 0.53). Conclusions. In this study there is no association between unexplained recurrent miscarriage and reduced selenium status, implying that reduced selenium status is not a factor in the pathogenesis of recurrent miscarriage. We can find no rationale for a trial of selenium therapy in women with a history of recurrent miscarriage.