Psychological factors that might cause a miscarriage are very different from the psychological effects of having had a miscarriage (which you will read more about in chapter 8). Work was carried out in the 1950s and 1960s in New York and Nova Scotia on psychological factors in women who had miscarried repeatedly. Although the two groups of researchers found slightly different characteristics, it was determined that those miscarriage-prone women were immature and dependent with dominant mothers. Additionally these women showed poor emotional control and a tendency to guilt feelings. Researchers felt that these personality traits may have caused miscarriages. However, it is now felt that these traits may be a result of having and the miscarriage, which is now felt that these traits may be a result of having had the miscarriage, which is now known to be emotionally traumatic.
It is important to determine whether stress, as to many parents believed, can cause a miscarriage. A study to determine the effects of stress on the course of a pregnancy is almost impossible to carry out, as it would entail isolating a woman in a room and measuring her stress hormone levels through out the entire pregnancy. However, It has already been shown that stress and grief can effect immunological functioning, which may be one mechanism through which miscarriages are caused.

It has been suggested, too, that emotional factors may interfere with the pregnancy implanting in the uterus. Stress may act on the body’s hormones. Could adrenalin and other stress hormones trigger a miscarriage? These are very commonly asked questions. Even though all the evidence is not in yet, relieving stress and anxiety is very important in pregnancy. There are reported studies that have shown the beneficial effects of psychological support on women who have undergone several miscarriages. Tender love and care (T.L.C) and, of course, good medical care may contribute to a high success rate in pregnancies. The consensus now is that the psychological factor is not a cause of miscarriage. But in general, stress is now seen as an important factor in the field of medicine and as something to be kept under control wherever possible. It is known that stress has an effect on immune system disorders that can lead to all sorts of medical illness. There is certain to be more research emerging in this area.