• Question: What causes pregnancies with embryos that have chromosome abnormalities to result in natural abortions?

    Asked by r1ch to Chris, Kay, Kerstin, Lorna, Liv on 17 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Kerstin Zechner

      Kerstin Zechner answered on 17 Mar 2010:

      A natural abortion occurs when the embryo dies. If an embryo has abnormalities in its chromosomes, it will not develop as a healthy foetus. So if, for example, the heart (or any other organ) didn’t develop properly due to problems with the chromosomes, the baby will die and be aborted.

    • Photo: Kay Penicud

      Kay Penicud answered on 18 Mar 2010:

      Nobody is exactly sure, but we think that embryos have some sort of in built counting mechanism to check if they have the correct genetic information (eg chromsome number) to have a baby. If they don’t pass the ‘counting check’ then this somehow triggers a natural abortion.

      Another way is that if an embryo lacks some chromosomes, they simply don’t have all the right information to become a baby so will naturally abort

    • Photo: Olivia Hibbitt

      Olivia Hibbitt answered on 19 Mar 2010:

      Hey r1ch,

      great talking to you today! So spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage happens in a huge number of pregnancies…..something like 20% of all pregnancies result in spontaneous abortion. I did some digging and couldn’t really find much on why it happens however, pregnancy is established through a very delicate and complicated signalling between the foetus and mother. I think there are probably quite a few steps that have to take place for the embryo to implant and then to continue. The actual expulsion of the foetus is probably caused by a rise in oestrogen which will cause the lining of the uterus to be shed….how this is triggered I’m not sure!

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