A new study is offering hope to women who have experienced repeat miscarriages, says baby loss charity Tommy's.
Research carried out by University of Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, with Tommy's support, uncovered a "key piece in the miscarriage puzzle, tracing risk back to a problem with the womb lining before pregnancy", says the team behind the work.
Despite around one in six pregnancies resulting in a miscarriage, previous studies have tended to focus on the embryo quality as opposed to the womb.
Those involved hope to put an end to women being told it's just 'bad luck' if they suffer a loss. They also hope medication to safely alter the lining of the womb will become more widely available.
When explaining the research to Cosmopolitan UK, Dr Jan Brosens, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Warwick, and Scientific Director of Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research, also a senior author of the study, said the new test was developed over the course of a decade.
Said test is designed to learn more about how the womb lining (endometrium) can "first allow an embryo to implant and then transition into a tissue that supports the placenta throughout pregnancy".
"Based on our findings, we developed a pre-pregnancy test that identifies an abnormal womb lining state that is very prone to breaking down in pregnancy, causing bleeding and miscarriage," Dr Brosens continued.
"Currently, blood tests are offered to miscarriage patients based on the assumption that subtle abnormalities in hormone or vitamin levels, immune cells, or clotting factors can explain why each pregnancy loss increases the risk of a further miscarriage.
"The endometrial test differs in that it assesses the preparedness of the womb lining for pregnancy. If not optimal, medication can be given to improve the womb lining before the patient embarks on a further pregnancy."
The test itself involves a small womb lining biopsy – which the team describe as a "quick and straightforward" process – and the results arrive 2 to 3 weeks later.
While the new development is incredibly exciting, sadly it is not yet widely available for those who have experienced miscarriage and it comes at a cost. At present, it is only available at the Implantation Research Clinic (a patient-funded research clinic in the Tommy's Centre at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust), which has temporarily paused accepting new patients due to how popular the test has been.
Dr Bronsens says scientists are hopeful that the NHS will adopt the test, making it freely available to women, including those who have experienced a single pregnancy loss as opposed to multiple.
"On a more positive note, the University of Warwick is establishing a spin-out company to make the test more widely available across the UK and in Europe from 2026," he adds.
The professor adds that more research is needed into the various other causes of miscarriage, beyond genetic errors in embryos (which are still a significant cause of miscarriage, particularly in those age 35 or above) and issues with the lining of the womb, which cannot account for all cases.
"Further research is vital to pinpoint other causes of pregnancy losses and provide patients with personalised treatments," Dr Bronsens says, pointing out that new treatment options for pregnancy disorders, including miscarriage, have been limited over the past 50 years.
"A significant reason is that women who wish to conceive or who are pregnant are routinely excluded from drug trials," he adds. "Our test now opens the opportunity to screen and evaluate new therapies that optimise the womb lining before pregnancy. This approach has the potential to lead to new treatments also for other pregnancy disorders."
Dr Jyotsna Vohra, Director of Research, Programmes and Impact at Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity, said when looking forward, "We hope NHS decision-makers will look carefully at the results of this study. We’re committed to working with them to gather the evidence we need to roll this kind of test out nationally.
"But if we want to keep saving babies’ lives then we must have greater investment in pregnancy research, to make sure pregnancy and birth are safe for everyone."
If you're looking for support or more information about premature births, stillbirths or miscarriage, Tommy's have a free helpline 0800 0147 800 and be contacted via email on [email protected]. There's also a Facebook group.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
