recurrent miscarriage recurrent miscarriage recurrent miscarriage or recurrent pregnancy loss is three or more consecutive pregnancy losses. in contrast, infertility is the inability to conceive. in many cases the cause of rpl is unknown. after three or more losses, a thorough evaluation is recommended by american society of reproductive medicine. about 1% of couples trying to have children are affected by recurrent miscarriage. recurrent miscarriageother nameshabitual abortion, recurrent pregnancy loss (rpl)specialtyobstetrics causes relative incidences of causative findings in cases with recurrent miscarriage there are various causes for recurrent miscarriage, and some can be treated. some couples never have a cause identified, often after extensive investigations. about 50–75% of cases of recurrent miscarriage are unexplained. chromosomal disorders a balanced translocation or robertsonian translocation in one of the partners leads to unviable fetuses that are miscarried. this explains why a karyogram is often performed in both partners if a woman has experienced repeated miscarriages. aneuploidy may be a cause of a random spontaneous as well as recurrent pregnancy loss. aneuploidy is more common with advanced reproductive age reflecting decreased germ cell quality. larger chromosomal disorders are generally detected on karyotype. in couples where a miscarried embryo has an abnormal karyotype, 76% of subsequent miscarried embryos have shown abnormal karyotypes as well. on the other hand, this group of couples have a better long-term live birth rate than those where miscarried embryos have normal karyotype. lifestyle factors while lifestyle factors have been associated with increased risk for miscarriage in general, and are usually not listed as specific causes for rpl, every effort should be made to address these issues in patients with rpl. of specific concern are chronic exposures to toxins including smoking, alcohol, and drugs. anatomical conditions fifteen percent of women who have experienced three or more recurring miscarriages have some anatomical reason for the inability to complete the pregnancy. the structure of the uterus has an effect on the ability to carry a child to term. anatomical differences are common and can be congenital. type of uterinestructure miscarriage rateassociated with defect