New Tommy’s tool gives personalised information about miscarriage risk and care
Up to 1 in 5 women will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime. While the majority of people who have had a miscarriage will go on to have a successful pregnancy, it’s understandable to feel anxious about trying again. For people who have had multiple miscarriages, it can be difficult to find the right care and support as they plan a pregnancy.
For the first time, women and pregnant people will have access to a calculator tool previously only used in Tommy’s recurrent miscarriage clinics. The Tommy’s Miscarriage Support Tool is designed to provide hope and reassurance to women and pregnant people who have a history of 1 or more miscarriages and might feel discouraged by previous experience of loss. The tool also offers tailored advice and support based on each individual result.
Developed by Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research, and using an algorithm drawing from data from 1,800 women who have participated in miscarriage research studies, the tool has been tested thoroughly by 4 other miscarriage clinics across the UK.
A calculation of miscarriage risk
Available through the Tommy’s website on your phone, tablet or desktop, the tool asks for age, BMI, polycystic ovary diagnosis, number of previous miscarriages and number of previous live births to accurately determine the probability of a successful next pregnancy.
Additional details, such as ethnicity, health conditions and whether or not you smoke, help to shape the personalised supportive information and advice given alongside the results – which is backed by research and developed by Tommy’s expert researchers and midwives.
Support and information
The advice given at the end of the tool includes an explanation of risk factors, where relevant, and any treatments or tests that may be beneficial. Our Miscarriage Matters campaign showed how much care can vary across the UK, which means people in some parts of the country aren’t given access to testing and treatment they are entitled to. With this tool, we hope to make sure everyone, everywhere has access to up-to-date information and advice so they feel empowered to advocate for the care they need.
Alongside this written advice, any women and pregnant people whose results show them to be at higher risk of miscarriage will be offered 1:1 support with a Tommy’s health professional to discuss concerns and care options.
Professor Siobhan Quenby, Deputy Director of the Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research who has overseen the tool’s development, said:
"Everybody who's had recurrent miscarriage actually has a slightly different story and slightly different circumstances, but it’s very difficult to get personalised information without a referral to a specialist centre like ours.
“I also find that most people who’ve had recurrent pregnancy loss believe they're never going to have a successful pregnancy and can feel so hopeless that they stop trying.
“This new tool gives them accurate information about their chance of a successful pregnancy, alongside tailored advice, as well as information about how to get the support they need. I hope it will encourage people to feel more in control as they plan their next pregnancy.”
Vanessa Haye, writer and Black women's health campaigner, adds:
"The tool is ground-breaking. I trust that it will be a great source of hope and support for a lot of people, and in particular ethnic-minority groups that have faced challenges in their access to care and support after having a miscarriage."
The Miscarriage Support Tool has been developed by Tommy’s for public use with support from the DCMS Tampon Tax Fund, a Government scheme funding projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls.