27 July 2001
The trauma of losing a baby by miscarriage affects nearly one fifth of all pregnant women and, according to new research findings, it could be due to a particular gene.
Scientists from the University of Vienna have investigated why miscarriages occur and if they are linked to genetics. A group of women who’d had recurrent spontaneous miscarriages took part and were compared to a control group of postmenopausal women who’d given birth at least twice and never had a miscarriage.
A gene called nitric oxide synthase (NOS), that controls the way the blood vessels function, was identified. The women who’d previously miscarried were found to be much more likely to carry a variant form of the NOS gene – something the researchers believe could play a part in miscarriage.
Professor Clemens Tempfer, the lead researcher, explains that, “Nitric oxide deficiency plays a role in high blood pressure, haemorrhage, vascular spasms and heart attacks,” so it’s reasonable to speculate that it could also play a part in miscarriage. He
adds that it’s likely that a lack of nitric oxide could hinder the development of the placenta, leaving the foetus in the womb starved of the nutrients it needs for survival.
A spokesperson for the Miscarriage Association described the findings as ‘interesting’, and added, “Women and their partners who suffer recurrent miscarriage are often desperate to know why this is happening to them.”
Experts say the gene is already thought to play a part in other pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia, and hope more research will be conducted to fully establish the link.
Where to next?
- Share your thoughts on this story, in Views on the News
- Discover more about miscarriage
- See what our expert says about losing a baby
- If you’ve lost a baby, talk to others in our losing a baby forum
- Find out more about the
Miscarriage Association
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