BMJ 2015;350:h2533 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h2533 (Published 12 May 2015)
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Research News
RESEARCH NEWS Survey reveals poor public awareness of miscarriage Susan Mayor London
Many people mistakenly think that miscarriage is rare and that lifestyle factors during pregnancy are a common cause, show the results of a survey of US adults reported in Obstetrics & Gynecology.1 “Miscarriage is a traditionally taboo subject that is rarely discussed publicly,” explained the study’s lead author, Zev Williams, director of the Program for Early and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. “We initiated this survey to assess what the general public knew about miscarriage and its causes and how miscarriage affects them emotionally.” The online survey asked 33 questions about miscarriage and was posted on the MTurk crowdsourcing web service of Amazon.com.
Just over half (55%) of the 1084 people aged 18-69 years who responded to the survey believed that miscarriages were “uncommon”—defined as affecting less than 6% of all pregnancies. In fact, the latest US figures show that miscarriages end a quarter of pregnancies and are by far the most common complication of pregnancy. Most participants (74%) correctly believed that pregnancy loss was most commonly the result of a genetic or medical problem. But nearly a quarter (22%) of the respondents incorrectly believed that lifestyle choices during pregnancy, including smoking and use of alcohol or drugs, were the single most common cause of miscarriage. More than three quarters (76%) of respondents thought that a stressful event or longstanding stress (74%) could cause miscarriage.
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Of the 15% of participants who said that they had experienced a miscarriage affecting either them or their partner, nearly half (47%) reported feeling guilty and a slightly smaller proportion (41%) believed that they had done something wrong. More than a third (38%) of those who had experienced a miscarriage thought that they could have done something to prevent it. Only 45% said they had received adequate emotional support from medical staff. “The results of our survey indicate widespread misconceptions about the prevalence and causes of miscarriage. Because miscarriage is very common but rarely discussed, many women and couples feel very isolated and alone after suffering a miscarriage,” said Williams. “We need to better educate people about miscarriage, which could help reduce the shame and stigma associated with it.”
1
Bardos J, Hercz D, Friedenthal J, et al. A national survey on public perceptions of miscarriage. Obstet Gynecol 2015;125:1313-20.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h2533 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
Research News
RESEARCH NEWS Survey reveals poor public awareness of miscarriage Susan Mayor London
Many people mistakenly think that miscarriage is rare and that lifestyle factors during pregnancy are a common cause, show the results of a survey of US adults reported in Obstetrics & Gynecology.1 “Miscarriage is a traditionally taboo subject that is rarely discussed publicly,” explained the study’s lead author, Zev Williams, director of the Program for Early and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. “We initiated this survey to assess what the general public knew about miscarriage and its causes and how miscarriage affects them emotionally.” The online survey asked 33 questions about miscarriage and was posted on the MTurk crowdsourcing web service of Amazon.com.
Just over half (55%) of the 1084 people aged 18-69 years who responded to the survey believed that miscarriages were “uncommon”—defined as affecting less than 6% of all pregnancies. In fact, the latest US figures show that miscarriages end a quarter of pregnancies and are by far the most common complication of pregnancy. Most participants (74%) correctly believed that pregnancy loss was most commonly the result of a genetic or medical problem. But nearly a quarter (22%) of the respondents incorrectly believed that lifestyle choices during pregnancy, including smoking and use of alcohol or drugs, were the single most common cause of miscarriage. More than three quarters (76%) of respondents thought that a stressful event or longstanding stress (74%) could cause miscarriage.
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Of the 15% of participants who said that they had experienced a miscarriage affecting either them or their partner, nearly half (47%) reported feeling guilty and a slightly smaller proportion (41%) believed that they had done something wrong. More than a third (38%) of those who had experienced a miscarriage thought that they could have done something to prevent it. Only 45% said they had received adequate emotional support from medical staff. “The results of our survey indicate widespread misconceptions about the prevalence and causes of miscarriage. Because miscarriage is very common but rarely discussed, many women and couples feel very isolated and alone after suffering a miscarriage,” said Williams. “We need to better educate people about miscarriage, which could help reduce the shame and stigma associated with it.”
1
Bardos J, Hercz D, Friedenthal J, et al. A national survey on public perceptions of miscarriage. Obstet Gynecol 2015;125:1313-20.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h2533 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
