Hospital admissions due to miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies have increased in recent years in the UK, according to research presented today at the 42nd annual general meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).
The national analysis also revealed persistent and substantial socio-economic inequalities in early pregnancy complications, which showed little sign of narrowing over the 20-year study period.
Miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are among the most common complications of early pregnancy and can have significant physical, psychological, and financial consequences. However, little is known about long-term national trends and how socio-economic inequalities have changed over time.
The population-level analysis looked at 786,984 miscarriage admissions, 211,727 ectopic pregnancy admissions and 12,418,745 births recorded in the UK between 2004 and 2024.
The results revealed significant changes in enrollment patterns over the 20 years of the study.
Between 2010 and 2018, the number of miscarriage hospitalizations decreased significantly from 45,232 to 37,398 per year (annual percentage change (APC) -2.06%). An even steeper decline was observed from 2018 to 2021 (APC -4.26%), with annual enrollment decreasing from 37,398 to 31,046 students.
However, hospitalizations increased again in the post-COVID-19 period (2021-2024), with 133,400 miscarriage hospitalizations recorded over four years.
The number of hospitalizations for ectopic pregnancies increased significantly from 2005 to 2012 (APC +2.81%), remained relatively stable for several years, but increased again from 2021 to 2024, with a significant increasing trend observed with the number of hospitalizations reaching 44,577 (APC +4.28%).
The study found that in addition to changes in the number of hospitalizations for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, the number of births also decreased. Annual vehicle deliveries decreased from 636,401 units in 2017 to 545,149 units in 2024, showing a significant downward trend (APC -2.26%).
We were shocked to see a recent increase in hospitalizations for both miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. The reasons are likely complex, but changes in healthcare delivery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in healthcare-seeking behavior, increasing maternal age, rising obesity levels, and broader reproductive health risk factors may all be playing a role. ”
Sindhu Sekar, School of Women and Child Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust Senior author
Persistent socio-economic inequalities were also observed. Over the most recent 10 years, women in the most disadvantaged decile had 71,104 hospital admissions for miscarriage compared to 26,414 in the least advantaged decile, a difference of around 2.7 times.
For ectopic pregnancies, there were 17,845 admissions in the most disadvantaged decile compared to 7,580 admissions in the least advantaged decile, a 2.4-fold difference.
Discussing the inequalities identified, Mr. Sekhar explained: “The most affected women are often those facing the greatest challenges. Women living in more advantaged communities are more likely to experience risk factors associated with miscarriage and face greater barriers to accessing care. These findings highlight how reproductive health can be strongly shaped by broader social and economic context.”
Looking to the future, researchers say improving reproductive outcomes and reducing inequalities will require action across both health services and public health. Sekhar said: “Ensuring equitable access to high-quality early pregnancy care should be a priority. Strengthening early pregnancy assessment units, improving care pathways and investing in prevention can help improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.”
On future research priorities, Professor Sekhar added: “Miscarriage has historically been overlooked and underfunded, despite affecting many women and families. We believe this should be recognized as a key priority for women’s health research. The next stage of research should focus on understanding the causes, improving care, reducing inequalities and preventing unavoidable miscarriages wherever possible.”
Commenting on the implications of the findings, ESHRE Chair Professor Anis Feki said: “These results are an important reminder that miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are not only clinical events, but also reflect broader inequalities in women’s health. The recent rise in hospital admissions deserves close attention, and strengthening equitable early pregnancy care is a concrete way to improve outcomes and better support women and families.”
The research summary is today. human reproductionone of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals.
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European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
