Non-invasive role for prostaglandins in miscarriages

It is estimated that 10-30 per cent of pregnancies end in a miscarriage. If a miscarriage is ‘incomplete’, doctors usually scrape out the uterus by D&C (dilatation & curettage) to remove the dead fetus and placenta.

It’s now been discovered that inserting prostaglandins (drugs that mimic the action of hormones) into the birth canal will make the mother expel her dead baby naturally, thus obviating the need for invasive D&Cs (Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2002; 187: 321-6).