Women with endometriosis at greater risk of miscarriage, says study

Women with endometriosis at greater risk of miscarriage, says study

Women with endometriosis are more likely to suffer a miscarriage and need extra care, according to fertility doctors at the University of Aberdeen.

It is caused by the lining of the uterus being found elsewhere in the body including the ovaries or vagina.

A study, on nearly 15,000 people in Scotland, found the condition increased the risk of miscarriage by 76%.

The team at the University of Aberdeen said that women needed to be informed of the risk.

Endometriosis can be hard to identify and is thought to affect between 2% and 10% of women. Symptoms include painful periods and stomach pain.

The research team analysed data from 5,375 women with endometriosis and 8,280 healthy women.

The findings will be presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lisbon by Dr Lucky Saraswat a PhD researcher at the University of Aberdeen.

She said: "Some things cannot be changed like ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage.

"[If] we can diagnose it sooner so we can act sooner... with early intervention and probably improve outcomes for these women."

She added such women may need extra monitoring, such as more ultrasound scans, during the pregnancy.