The study revealed that the hormone could not help all women who suffered from early bleeding but it helped those women who had a history of recurrent miscarriages.
A new study suggests that women who have suffered miscarriages might have better chances of having a baby if they are given the hormone progesterone. In order to arrive at the result, around 4,000 pregnant women were examined by Birmingham researchers.
The study, quoted by BBC, cites the example of Samantha Allen, a 31-year-old woman who experienced spotting during her first pregnancy and lost her baby. She experienced the same during her second pregnancy but took the hormone for eight weeks. Later, she gave birth to a son.
Progesterone, a hormone essential in pregnancy, helps in maintaining the lining of the womb. In Allen’s case, who took the hormone twice a day until she was 16 weeks pregnant, the bleeding stopped within a week.
“I just hope they don’t have to go through the same heartache – it does take its toll on you,” she was quoted as saying.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine examined a group of around 2,000 pregnant women. They were given progesterone, while another group, consisting of a similar number of women, were given placebo, or dummy pill. All these women, had experienced bleeding.
The study revealed that the hormone could not help all women who suffered from early bleeding but helped those women who had a history of recurrent miscarriages.
Arri Coomarasamy, study leader, feels that the treatment can be beneficial in saving thousands of babies’ lives.
“We hope that this evidence will be considered by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and that it will be used to update national guidelines for women at risk of miscarriage,” he said. “At present, when women are potentially miscarrying, “there is nothing we can offer them”, he added.
However, he also added that the treatment will not benefit all women who suffer from miscarriages, primarily because there are several reasons that lead to a miscarriage. The treatment can help only those who have a progesterone-related problem.
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