Chlamydia and miscarriage

October 2016

One of the worst things about miscarriage is the lack of answers currently available to women who are naturally full of questions.

Why did it happen? Will it happen again? Did I do anything wrong?

This last question is one that Whitney and Lee were left asking on EastEnders last night after they lost their baby.

This episode raised the question of the role chlamydia can have in miscarriage. Professor Arri Coomarasamy, Director of Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, wants to reassure couples that the having or having had chlamydia cannot directly be linked to miscarriage.

'There is conflicting evidence about the association between chlamydia infection and miscarriage, with some studies suggesting an association, while others showing no link. The likelihood of a miscarriage being linked to chlamydia infection is extremely small. Most miscarriages are due to problems with the chromosomes of the fetus, and will have nothing to do with an infection. It is therefore important that women do not link their miscarriage with past chlamydia infection, and blame themselves for the pregnancy loss. Most women who have had chlamydia infection will have no problems in carrying a pregnancy, although some women may face some difficulty in conceiving a pregnancy. If there is problem with conceiving, then it is important to seek medical help.'

If you are concerned about your sexual history affecting your pregnancy then do talk to you GP about your worries. Our midwives are also on hand at our free pregnancy information line to offer advice or guidance 0800 0147 800.

If you want to read more about our involvement with the episode you can read how we worked with the research and script teams on this miscarriage storyline here.

This is why Tommy's is trying to find the answers.

Read more about Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research here.