Medically treated miscarriage in Alamance County, North Carolina, 1988-1991

The authors attempted to identify all medically treated miscarriages in Alamance County, North Carolina, between September 1988 and August 1991. Clinical and demographic characteristics of the cases were evaluated, and risks were calculated in relation to total pregnancies, including induced abortions. Miscarriage cases usually had positive pregnancy tests, and a sizable proportion (66% of whites, 72% of blacks) had a pathology report indicating the presence of a conceptus. Nineteen percent of the cases were identified in hospitals, a more common source for women who were unmarried, young, of low education, and had pregnancies of advanced gestational age. The risk of medically treated miscarriage was 7.7% among whites and 5.5% among blacks, with higher risks among older women. The lower risk among blacks, especially those with lower levels of education, suggests underascertainment, possibly resulting from a failure to seek treatment.