International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The treatment received after an early miscarriage does not affect a woman's long-term fertility, it has been reported.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), 80 per cent of women studied had a live birth within five years of an early miscarriage, regardless of the type of treatment they received for it.

Therefore, researchers based in the south-west of England compared fertility rates for the three treatment methods - expectant, medical or surgical – with similar numbers of births being recorded for each.

Previous studies had suggested that all three are probably equivalent in terms of gynaecological infection, but their long term effects on fertility were not known.

The authors concluded: "The method of miscarriage management does not affect subsequent pregnancy rates, with around four in five women having a live birth within five years of a miscarriage.

"Women can be reassured that long term fertility concerns need not affect their choice of miscarriage management method."

According to the BMJ, around 15 per cent of all pregnancies end in early miscarriage.