New Study Links Stress to Miscarriage Reproductive Medicine Associates of, CA, CT, January 2005 There is little in the world of infertility quite as stressful for patients as recurrent miscarriage. So, with the release of a new study identifying stress itself as a possible cause of miscarriage, infertility specialists are now examining ways in which their patients can heighten their chances of a healthy pregnancy by reducing stress.
The study, reported in the November 17th issue of New Scientist, concluded that stress releases a cascade of hormones that can lead to spontaneous abortion. It followed 864 pregnant women 55 of whom miscarried. Those who miscarried were more likely to have identified themselves as experiencing stress before or during pregnancy, and were also more likely to have lower levels of progesterone side effects and progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF) in their blood, than those who did not miscarry. Progesterone and PIBF are both critical to a healthy pregnancy, in that they prevent the immune system from attacking the placenta and the fetus as foreign substances. In another leg of the same study, pregnant mice that were exposed to high levels of noise responded with elevated serum levels of cortical, a hormone liked to progesterone suppression. Mark, M.D., a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and Medical Director at the Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) in Loma Linda, agrees that stress can play a factor in recurrent miscarriage. It can be a vicious cycle, he explains, wherein each subsequent loss can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness or anger. And these feelings can cause hormonal imbalances. Dr. Herry maintains, however, that stress reduction therapies such as counseling, support groups and even moderate physical activities must be incorporated in a full treatment plan for recurrent infertility.