Women who suffer recurrent miscarriages have had their hopes of a treatment raised by new research. A study by Australian doctors into 400 women who miscarried repeatedly, found that levels of a protein, MIC 1, was significantly low in their cases.

The researchers from the Monash Institute of Medical Research and St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, conducted blood tests on the pregnant women in the first six and 12 weeks of pregnancy and found that levels of the protein, MIC 1, began to drop four to six weeks before the miscarriage.

"That suggests that the low levels were not just a reflection of a failing pregnancy but may fundamentally contribute to the miscarriage,’ explained Prof Euan Wallace said. ‘One of the things that has hampered research into miscarriage in the past is that we have never been able to identify well ahead of the miscarriage who was at risk - and now we can.’

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