Facctors of Incomple Abortion

* Age. Women older than age 35 have a higher risk of miscarriage than do younger women. At age 35, you have about a 20 percent risk. At age 40, the risk is about 40 percent. And at age 45, it's about 80 percent. Paternal age also may play a role. Some studies indicate that the chance of miscarriage is higher if a woman's partner is age 35 or older, with the chance increasing as men age.

* More than two previous miscarriages. The risk of miscarriage is higher in women with a history of two or more previous miscarriages. After one miscarriage, your risk of miscarriage is the same as that of a woman who's never had a miscarriage.

* Chronic conditions. Women with certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes or thyroid disease, have a higher risk of miscarriage.

* Uterine or cervical problems. Certain uterine abnormalities or a weak or unusually short cervix may increase the risk of miscarriage.

* Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Women who smoke or drink alcohol during pregnancy have a greater risk of miscarriage than do nonsmokers and women who avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Illicit drug use also increases the risk of miscarriage.

* Invasive prenatal tests. Some prenatal genetic tests, such as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, carry a slight risk of miscarriage.

* What are the causes and risks of the condition?

* A fetus that fails to develop or that is malformed most often causes miscarriages in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Miscarriages in the second trimester are most often caused by factors related to the mother, such as:

* an abnormal-shaped womb, including one with a wall down the middle of it

* an age of 35 years or older

* autoimmune disorders, in which the woman's body creates antibodies to its own tissue, including fetal tissue. Systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disorder that involves many organ systems and is linked with a high risk of miscarriage, is one example.

* bacterial...