Impact of definition on recurrent pregnancy loss service provision: a retrospective study

 

Introduction

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) occurs in 1-3% of couples trying to conceive depending on the definition used.(1) The number of previous pregnancy losses impacts the likelihood of having a subsequent livebirth. However, there is global inconsistency regarding the appropriate definition of RPL which affects clinical practice and management. This international ambiguity centers around the number of previous losses (two versus three), whether the pregnancy loss was consecutive or interspersed with a livebirth and therefore non-consecutive and finally the type of pregnancy in question (intra-uterine, pregnancy of unknown location, ectopic, molar or biochemical pregnancy)