How Common Are Missed Miscarriages?

Miscarriage is far more common than most of us are ever told. Large population studies (like reviews by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) show that around 10 to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies end in loss, and many researchers, such as those at Harvard Medical School, believe the true number is closer to 15 to 20% once very early losses are included. Within that, missed miscarriages make up a significant portion (one Finnish study between 1998-2016 found that missed miscarriages made up 38.8% of all pregnancy losses), although there aren’t global or large US studies with accurate figures.

Those numbers can feel strangely disconnected from the lived reality, though. A missed miscarriage often gives no hint that anything is wrong, which means many people only learn about their loss during what they thought would be a routine ultrasound. It can be a shocking, disorienting moment, and it is completely natural to feel overwhelmed by the suddenness of it.

So let’s take a closer look at how common missed miscarriages really are, why they happen, how they are diagnosed, and what you can expect afterward, both physically and emotionally. And throughout it all, one truth holds steady: you did nothing to cause this, and you are not alone.

How common are missed miscarriages?

Missed miscarriages may affect roughly 1 to 5% of clinically recognized pregnancies, with one 1996 study suggesting that 3% of clinically recognized pregnancies end in a missed miscarriage, although there aren’t any official figures.

When compared with overall miscarriage rates of 10 to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies, missed miscarriages represent a significant portion of those losses, but a relatively small percentage of pregnancies overall. It stands to reason that 43% of our Rescripted community shared that they have daily anxiety about the possibility of a miscarriage during pregnancy.

Miscarriage overall is heartbreakingly common. Missed miscarriage is less common, but still frequent enough that many people will experience it or know someone who has. The numbers don’t soften the pain, but they can help normalize something that often feels isolating and confusing.

Missed miscarriage statistics by trimester

Most missed miscarriages occur in the first trimester. According to research on early pregnancy loss by March of Dimes, around 80% of miscarriages happen before 12 weeks. Silent or missed miscarriages are typically detected between 10 and 13 weeks, when a routine ultrasound can clearly show whether there is a heartbeat and whether the embryo is developing as expected.

In many cases, the embryo stops growing earlier, often between 6 and 10 weeks, even though the diagnosis happens later. This can lead to situations where someone thinks they are 12 weeks pregnant but learns that the baby stopped developing several weeks prior.

Missed miscarriages can happen in the second trimester, too, although this number is significantly less than in the first trimester. Around 2 to 3% of pregnancies end in loss in the second trimester, with a much smaller number accounting for missed miscarriages. By the time a pregnancy reaches the 20th week, that percentage drops to 0.5%, based on figures from UC Davis Health’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

How the numbers have changed over time

It can seem as though missed miscarriages are being talked about more than ever, and in many ways, that feeling is real. Healthcare providers are diagnosing more of them now than they did in the past, but not because they are suddenly happening more often. What’s changed is the way we monitor and track early pregnancy. People now have earlier access to ultrasound, home pregnancy tests can detect incredibly small amounts of hCG, and medical systems have become better at recording early pregnancy complications with more accuracy.

Early ultrasound makes the biggest difference. A few decades ago, many people didn’t have a scan before the end of the first trimester, which meant a silent loss often only came to light once bleeding or cramping began. Today, it’s common to have a dating or viability scan between 7 and 10 weeks, and those scans can pick up problems that would previously have passed unnoticed for longer.

So while it may feel like missed miscarriages are becoming more common, the increase lies mostly in awareness and detection. We are finding them earlier and more consistently, not experiencing them more often.

What percent of miscarriages are missed miscarriages?

When researchers break down miscarriage by type, national registry studies show that missed miscarriages make up a significant share of early losses, often around 30 to 40% of the miscarriages recorded in clinical settings. The percentage can be even higher when anembryonic pregnancies are included in the same category. This means a missed miscarriage isn’t unusual. It is one of the more common ways early pregnancy loss is diagnosed.

It also helps explain why so many people only learn about their loss at an ultrasound rather than through bleeding or cramping. A lack of symptoms does not always mean a pregnancy is continuing as expected. Sometimes the body hasn’t yet recognised the change.

Tassia O’Callaghan shared her experience of a missed miscarriage: “I’d had a couple of private ultrasounds at 6 weeks and 7 weeks, which showed a healthy heartbeat. I didn’t have many pregnancy symptoms in the weeks that followed, but wasn’t too concerned. But I noticed a little brown discharge at 12+3 weeks after doing some light yoga, a couple of days before my official scan. Unfortunately, the scan showed no heartbeat, and the fetus had stopped growing about a week after my last scan. I still remember the words the sonographer said: ‘I’m afraid it’s not good news.’”

Knowing how common this type of loss is doesn’t erase the shock or sadness, but it can offer a sense of grounding. Many early losses happen quietly, before the body gives any obvious outward sign, and that silence can feel isolating. The numbers remind us that you are not alone in this experience.

When do missed miscarriages occur?

Most missed miscarriages occur in the first trimester, typically between 6 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. In many cases, the embryo stops developing somewhere around the 6 to 9 week mark, but the diagnosis comes later because the body hasn’t yet recognised the loss. Hormone levels can remain high, symptoms can continue, and there may be no bleeding at all, which is why everything can seem normal from the outside.

For many people, the first indication that something is wrong appears during a routine ultrasound. Early viability scans around 8 to 10 weeks, or dating and nuchal translucency scans between 10 and 13 weeks, are often when a missed miscarriage is discovered. These scans are timed to show clear growth and cardiac activity, which makes it possible for clinicians to identify a problem that the body has not yet signaled.

How long can a missed miscarriage go undetected?

A missed miscarriage can go undetected for days, weeks, or occasionally longer. This is because:

• Pregnancy hormone levels can remain high even after development stops
• Symptoms like nausea or breast tenderness can continue
• The cervix often stays closed
• There may be no bleeding or cramping

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can remain elevated for some time, which is why pregnancy tests stay positive, and symptoms may continue for a while. Even when hCG begins to decline, the drop is often slow enough that the change in symptoms is subtle.

This delay is one of the hardest parts of a missed miscarriage. You may feel pregnant even after the pregnancy has stopped progressing.

Tassia explained her experience: “I was testing positive for about 10 days after I’d actually passed my missed miscarriage. Those positive pregnancy tests were so cruel, but I was told by my clinic to take them to make sure everything had passed.”

What is a missed miscarriage? (Definition and medical terms)

Missed miscarriage, silent miscarriage, and missed abortion are all terms used to describe a pregnancy loss in which the baby has stopped developing, but the body has not yet begun the physical process of miscarriage.

In some cases, a person can have a miscarriage without knowing it, or before they know they are pregnant. While this occurrence is colloquially known as a missed miscarriage, those in the medical field prefer to use terms like asymptomatic early pregnancy loss, blighted ovum, or anembryonic pregnancy instead.

“An anembryonic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg successfully attaches itself to the uterus, yet the subsequent embryo fails to progress in development,” explains Layan Alrahmani, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist. This results in a pregnancy where the undeveloped embryo is resorbed, leaving behind an empty gestational sac, or, in other words, “retained embryonic or placental tissue in the uterine cavity,” says Kecia Gaither, M.D., a board-certified OB GYN and Director of Perinatal Services and Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals in the Bronx, New York.

Unfortunately, having a missed miscarriage means “the mother typically does not experience any symptoms of a miscarriage,” says Dr. Alrahmani. “Typical symptoms of a miscarriage would include vaginal bleeding or spotting and abdominal pains.” If someone has a missed miscarriage, they may not feel anything at all.

Missed miscarriage causes

The main cause of asymptomatic early pregnancy loss is the same as a miscarriage with symptoms, which is that the unborn baby did not develop properly.

“The majority of missed miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities,” says Dr. Gaither. These abnormalities are often random events that occur at the time of fertilization and are not caused by anything the pregnant person did or did not do.

It is always important to remember that this loss, as with any other pregnancy loss, is “completely out of the pregnant mom’s control,” assures Dr. Alrahmani. Feelings of guilt are common, but they do not reflect the reality of what has happened.

Other contributing factors can include uterine abnormalities, hormonal issues, uncontrolled chronic illnesses, or immune or clotting conditions. However, for most people, a clear non-chromosomal cause is never identified.

Risk factors and likelihood

Many of the same factors that increase the overall risk of miscarriage also appear to play a role in missed miscarriages. These aren’t guarantees of loss, but simply patterns researchers have observed across large groups of pregnancies:

• Increasing maternal age: Age is one of the clearest predictors of miscarriage risk. According to data published in The BMJ in 2019, pregnancies in people aged 35 and older are more likely to end in miscarriage, largely because egg quality and chromosomal stability naturally change over time. That doesn’t mean a healthy pregnancy is off the table. It simply means the statistical risk shifts as we age.
• A previous miscarriage: Experiencing one miscarriage can slightly increase the chance of another, but not by much. ACOG notes that most people who have had a single miscarriage will go on to have a healthy pregnancy next time, and a previous loss does not mean anything is “wrong” with your body.
• Certain medical conditions: Uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid disorders, and some autoimmune conditions can make early pregnancy more vulnerable, according to Springer Nature. With proper treatment and monitoring, however, many people with these conditions have safe and uncomplicated pregnancies.
• Lifestyle factors such as smoking or drug use: Smoking, heavy alcohol use, and some drug exposures can raise miscarriage risk, according to research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. If any of these apply to you, it doesn’t mean they caused your loss. It simply means they are listed among factors that may influence outcomes across populations, not individuals.
• Very low or very high BMI: Research suggests that being significantly under or over the recommended BMI range may be linked with a higher risk of miscarriage. A 2022 study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found increased miscarriage rates in people with both underweight and obese BMI categories, although the reasons are complex and not fully understood. Many people with higher or lower BMI still go on to have healthy pregnancies.
• Uterine abnormalities: Certain structural differences, such as a septate uterus or fibroids that distort the uterine cavity, can make early pregnancy more difficult to sustain. A 2008 study for Fertility and Sterility noted that while these abnormalities can increase miscarriage risk, many people with them conceive and carry successfully, especially with tailored care.
• Chronic infections: Some chronic or untreated infections, including certain sexually transmitted infections, may contribute to pregnancy loss in rare cases. The CDC highlights that appropriate testing and treatment can significantly reduce these risks, and many people with a history of infection have healthy, full-term pregnancies.
• Severe or prolonged stress: While everyday stress is not considered a cause of miscarriage, very high or chronic stress may play a more complicated role. A 2017 review in Scientific Reports noted an association between extreme stress exposure and early pregnancy loss, though causation is difficult to prove, and the overall evidence remains mixed. Many pregnancies continue normally even during stressful periods.

Most people who experience a missed miscarriage will go on to have a healthy pregnancy in the future, and many pregnancies progress normally even when risk factors are present. A missed miscarriage says nothing about your worth, your body, or your ability to carry a pregnancy. It’s far more often the result of chromosomal chance than anything a person did or didn’t do.

What are the chances of a missed miscarriage

Missed miscarriages occur in about 1 to 5% of recognized pregnancies, according to national studies, although more research is needed. This likelihood changes depending on age, health conditions, and pregnancy history.

Many people also want to know the chance of miscarriage after a heartbeat is detected. Several studies show that the risk drops significantly once a heartbeat is visible. For many individuals with no symptoms, the risk after a normal early scan can be as low as around 1 to 2% by 8 to 10 weeks, according to a large-scale study in Australia in 2008.

While this is reassuring, it is not a guarantee. Missed miscarriages can still occur after early viable scans, although this is less common.

Tassia explains how she used to find solace in statistics: “I’m already an anxious person, so checking things like miscarriage reassurer websites for statistics and percentage chances of loss was a daily occurrence to me, even after we’d seen the heartbeat. But even though my chances of a miscarriage were incredibly low, it still happened. The numbers are just based on averages, not based on me and my experiences.”

Are missed miscarriages becoming more common?

It can sometimes feel like missed miscarriages are becoming more common, but current evidence suggests that what has really changed is our ability to detect them. Earlier access to ultrasound, more sensitive home pregnancy tests, and better medical coding systems all mean that losses that once went unnoticed are now being identified more reliably. According to guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, first trimester ultrasounds have become a key part of early pregnancy care, allowing clinicians to spot problems long before symptoms appear.

Greater openness around pregnancy loss has also played a role. People are sharing their experiences more publicly than in past generations, which can make these losses feel more visible in our collective awareness. Decades ago, many missed miscarriages would only have been recognised when bleeding eventually started, or they may have been dismissed as a delayed or heavier period. With today’s early scans, those same losses are identified sooner and with much more clarity.

Signs and symptoms (or lack thereof)

A missed miscarriage often develops without the symptoms many people expect. There may be no bleeding or cramping at all, and pregnancy symptoms can continue because hormone levels typically fall slowly rather than all at once. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists notes that these hormonal shifts can make symptoms an unreliable way to judge how a pregnancy is progressing.

Some people notice their nausea or breast tenderness easing, but early pregnancy symptoms naturally rise and fall, so changes like these do not always signal a problem. If you do develop heavy bleeding, severe pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, or faintness, reach out for urgent medical care, as these can sometimes indicate an ectopic pregnancy or another complication.

Tassia shared her symptoms: “My first clue that something was wrong was a little brown discharge after doing some yoga, just after 12 weeks. But as I found out a few days later, my fetus had actually stopped developing about 4 weeks earlier. It wasn’t until 13 weeks exactly that I felt horrendous cramps and very heavy bleeding when the active miscarriage started.”

How missed miscarriages are diagnosed

Missed miscarriages are diagnosed with an ultrasound.

“An ultrasound will confirm the missed miscarriage by showing either a lack of development of an embryo or lack of cardiac activity in an embryo or fetus of a certain size when cardiac activity would be expected,” says Dr. Culwell.

Sometimes more than one scan is required. This is because dating inaccuracies or delayed implantation can make an early pregnancy appear behind, even when it is healthy. “In some cases, the diagnosis requires a lack of growth or progression of the pregnancy over time, usually one to two weeks,” explains Dr. Culwell.

hCG blood tests can support the diagnosis, but an ultrasound is the primary tool.

What are my options once the miscarriage is confirmed?

As the original article explains, there are three typical management options:

• Expectant management: The pregnancy passes naturally
• Medical management: Medication triggers the uterus to pass the pregnancy
• Surgical management: A procedure such as dilation and curettage (D and C) removes pregnancy tissue

Dr. Culwell says, "About 50 percent of asymptomatic pregnancy losses will pass spontaneously within 14 days.” After this point, intervention may be recommended to reduce the risk of infection, although this varies by individual case.

Tassia’s experience was a little different from the ‘norm’: “After I’d found out that the fetus had stopped developing 4 weeks prior, I opted for medical management, but since my ultrasound was on a Friday, I had to wait until the Early Pregnancy Unit was open on the following Monday in order to book my appointment to get the medication I needed to pass the fetus. However, in the early hours of Tuesday, the day I was supposed to collect my medication, my body had started to pass the fetus naturally, so it was then expectant management. But things got more complicated when I experienced very heavy bleeding and excessive pain, and had to go to the emergency room, where they ended up doing a D&C, as the pregnancy tissue was caught in my cervix.”

What to expect with each treatment option

Once a missed miscarriage is confirmed, most people are offered a choice between expectant, medical, or surgical management. Each option is safe and effective, but the experiences can feel very different in practice. What matters most is finding the path that feels manageable for you, both physically and emotionally. Here is a closer look at what you can expect with each approach, so you can make a decision that aligns with your needs and the level of support you have around you.

• Expectant management: You wait for the body to initiate the miscarriage naturally. Bleeding can be heavier than a period, and it may take days or weeks for the process to complete. Follow-up scans confirm whether all tissue has passed.
• Medical management: This involves taking medications such as misoprostol, sometimes combined with mifepristone, to induce contractions. Many people appreciate the privacy and predictability of this approach.
• Surgical management (D&C): A brief procedure removes the tissue directly. Many people choose this option for its speed or because they prefer not to miscarry at home.

Each option has physical and emotional considerations. Your provider can help guide you through what is safest and most aligned with your circumstances.

After a missed miscarriage: What happens next?

Recovery looks different for everyone.

Physically, most people recover within a few weeks. Bleeding usually settles within 1 to 2 weeks, and ovulation often returns within 2 to 4 weeks, depending on when the miscarriage happened. Periods commonly resume within 4 to 8 weeks.

“My period came back 27 days after I’d stopped my miscarriage bleeding,” explains Tassia, “I was tracking my ovulation using LH test strips after my miscarriage bleeding, but I think I had an anovulatory cycle straight after my loss. My next cycle was basically back to pre-pregnancy, with a clear LH peak and a typical cycle length, with normal period bleeding for me.”

You can often try to conceive again once you feel ready, although your provider may recommend waiting until after your first period for tracking purposes. There’s no strong evidence that waiting improves outcomes for most people after a single early loss.

Emotionally, processing a missed miscarriage can take much longer.

The emotional impact of a missed miscarriage

Like any other pregnancy loss, a missed miscarriage can be devastating for expectant parents.

“Women who experience miscarriages, including missed miscarriages,” says Dr. Alrahmani, “may face a variety of understandable effects on their mental health, many of which can be severe and long-lasting, including grief, sadness, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Because there are often no symptoms until the diagnosis, the shock can be overwhelming. Many people describe feeling blindsided, angry at their bodies, or confused about what to do next.

All of these feelings are normal and valid.

Finding support after a missed miscarriage

Support after pregnancy loss can take many different forms, and there is no single right way to cope. For many people, talking openly with a partner or close family is what helps the most. In a Rescripted Community poll, 24% of our respondents said those conversations were their biggest source of comfort.

Professional support can also play an important role. Around 7% of respondents turned to therapy, counseling, or a dedicated support group. Others find grounding in more personal outlets. About 5% of respondents said journaling, creative expression, or spiritual practices helped them through their loss. And 19% shared that they mostly coped on their own, which is a very common and completely valid response, too.

Trusted friends, online communities, and pregnancy loss organizations can also provide reassurance and connection when you need to feel less alone. And if you notice ongoing sadness, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or difficulty functioning day to day, reaching out for mental health care is not only appropriate but important. Your doctor can help connect you with supportive therapists and resources, and you deserve care that meets you where you are.

Missed miscarriage FAQs

It is completely natural to have questions after experiencing a missed miscarriage, especially when so much of the process feels confusing or out of your control.

Can you prevent a missed miscarriage?

No. Most early pregnancy losses are caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo, so there is nothing you could have done to prevent a missed miscarriage. These abnormalities happen by chance at the moment of fertilization and are not linked to exercise, stress levels, diet, or anything you did or didn’t do. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is very clear that early pregnancy loss is almost never caused by the pregnant person’s behavior. It’s understandable to search for a reason when something so painful happens, but the science is firm on this: it’s not your fault.

Will I have another one?

Most people who experience one missed miscarriage will never experience another. In large population studies, recurrent pregnancy loss is rare, affecting only about 1 to 2% of people trying to conceive. Many people go on to have completely healthy pregnancies afterward, and your chances of a successful pregnancy next time are still very high.

How soon can I try again?

Physically, ovulation can return as soon as 2 to 4 weeks after a miscarriage, which means the body may be ready to conceive again relatively quickly. ACOG notes that there is no medical need to delay conception after an early loss unless your doctor advises otherwise. Emotionally, though, there is no standard timeline. Some people feel ready as soon as their body is, while others need time to grieve, heal, or rebuild trust in their bodies before thinking about another pregnancy. Wherever you land is completely valid.

Should I have testing done?

For most people, testing isn’t recommended after a single early miscarriage. ACOG and other major medical organizations advise additional testing only after two or more consecutive losses, or if there are specific medical concerns such as irregular cycles, known uterine abnormalities, or certain autoimmune or clotting disorders. If you feel unsure, it’s always reasonable to ask your provider to talk through your individual history and whether any testing might be helpful for your peace of mind. You deserve clear answers and compassionate care as you decide what comes next.

Moving forward after a missed miscarriage

A missed miscarriage can feel surreal because your heart and your body are often on different timelines. The diagnosis may be silent, but the grief is not. You deserve care, compassion, and support as you make sense of what has happened.

Most people who experience a missed miscarriage go on to have healthy pregnancies in the future. That possibility does not erase the loss you have lived through, but it can offer a softer place to land.

You are not alone in this. You are not to blame. And you deserve every bit of support you need as you move forward in whatever way feels right for you.