Investigation

In some cases, there is an underlying problem that is causing repeated pregnancy loss.

Because repeated miscarriage has many possible causes, your doctor will need a great deal of information to diagnose the problem.

Both partners participate in a series of tests with the hope of determining a cause.

There are currently more than 40 tests we can perform for a standard out-of-pocket fee, and the list is growing. We will work through the tests during the course of one menstrual cycle and will get results back to you as quickly as possible.

Here are the different groupings of test that we offer:

Genetic tests - the body rejects a fetus because its genetics weren't quite right. We want to know more than why the fetus was rejected; we want to know why it was abnormal in the first place.

Immunological tests - Sometimes the mother's immune system seems to reject the embryo as if it were a foreign body. In others, the woman's immune system turns against her own body.

Our immunological tests are designed to see if you have any of these conditions.

Endocrinological tests - hormones play a vital role in reproduction. We test to see if an imbalance in these hormones could be the cause of your miscarriages.

Anatomical tests - we use ultrasound to investigate the uterus, tubes and ovaries looking for anatomical abnormalities. If suggested by the ultrasound scan, there are additional surgical operations we can do to treat these anomalies.

Haematological tests - there are different types of white blood cell inside the human body. Testing these can give us an indication of whether a patient is at a higher risk of miscarriage.

Biochemical tests - some disorders to do with copper metabolism and selenium intake can contribute to miscarriage and are easily screened for with a simple blood test.

Thrombophilia tests - thrombophilia describes a range of conditions that cause clots to form within blood vessels. We test to see thrombophilias are preventing the embryo from implanting in the uterus properly.

Infections tests - we look for infections which may contribute to miscarriage.

Histological tests - here we test the lining of the uterus (or endometrium) to see whether it is healthy.