Comforting news for pregnant women who can barely manage the most mundane foods without getting sick:  morning sickness means they're 70 percent less likely to miscarry. And the worse the nausea, the better the odds.

More good news: eating chocolate may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 15 percent, and daily fruits and vegetables will cut it by nearly half, British researchers said.

"Our study confirms previous studies, which suggest that following a healthy diet, reducing stress and looking after your emotional well-being may all play a role in helping women in early pregnancy, or planning a pregnancy, to reduce their risk of miscarriage," said Noreen Maconochie, the lead researcher at the University of London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

"It can be a very distressing experience for women, and any advice on how they can improve their chances of achieving a full-term pregnancy is likely to be welcome."

Risk factors

In the United States, about 10 to 25 percent of the recognized pregnancies and up to 75 percent of the unrecognized pregnancies end in miscarriages every year,  most during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Health experts concede that they aren't fully sure what causes miscarriages, although increased age, previous miscarriages and infertility are risk factors. Other risk factors, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and caffeine intake remain controversial or unconfirmed, Maconochie said.

The London study of 7,000 pregnant women looked at the links between biological, behavioral and lifestyle risk factors and the likelihood of miscarriage.

The research found:

•  Very skinny, underweight women stand a 70 percent higher risk of miscarriage, but can boost their chances significantly of successful pregnancies by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables daily. In the study, underweight women had body mass indexes of less than 18.5.

•  Women may cut their miscarriage risk in half by taking vitamin supplements, especially those that contain folic acid, or iron and multivitamins.

•  Dairy products may cut the risk by a quarter;

•  Twice-weekly meal of white meat or fish reduced the chances by 15 percent.

Among the lifestyle findings:

•  Unmarried women living with a partner were at greater risk of miscarriage.

•  Women who planned their pregnancies were 40 percent less likely to miscarry  than women with unexpected  pregnancies.

•  Women who changed partners after becoming pregnant were 60 percent more likely to suffer miscarriages.

Great Britain's Miscarriage Association sponsored the study.

"We speak to thousands of women who are desperate to find out why they miscarried and what they can do to prevent it happening again," association leaders said, in a statement. "While we still don't have all the answers, these findings are going to help women who want to reduce their risk of losing a baby in pregnancy."

Source: University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Reference: British Journal of Gynecology

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