Recurrent Miscarriage: Causes, Testing and Treatment Options

If you’ve experienced multiple miscarriages and haven’t had clear answers from standard testing, you may come across newer or experimental treatments — often offered by private fertility clinics. It’s completely understandable to want to try something, especially when you’re feeling out of options. But many of these treatments don’t yet have strong scientific backing and aren’t often offered by the NHS or recommended by the HFEA. Some may carry risks, while others simply lack evidence that they actually work. That’s why experts recommend these only in a research setting, if at all — not as routine care. [3]

Here’s what to know about the most common (but unproven) options you might hear about:

• Immunological testing and treatment: Some private clinics test for “immune rejection” — the theory that your immune system might mistake the embryo for a threat. But there’s no good evidence that this happens in healthy people. Natural killer (NK) cell testing (either in blood or womb tissue), Th1/Th2 ratio blood tests, or “immune profiling” might be suggested — but they don’t reliably predict pregnancy outcomes. And there’s no proven benefit to treatments like steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), or intralipids. These treatments can be expensive and may carry risks like allergic reactions, infections, and even long-term health effects. [13]
  
  
• Steroids: Drugs like prednisolone or dexamethasone are used to suppress immune responses, and may be prescribed if an immune cause is suspected. But evidence shows they don’t improve pregnancy rates in people without diagnosed immune conditions — and they can increase the risk of serious side effects, including infection and blood sugar issues. The HFEA gives this treatment a red rating for safety and effectiveness in most cases. [13]
  
  
• Intralipids: Intralipids are fat-based infusions originally developed for hospital nutrition support. Some clinics offer them as a way to ‘calm’ the immune system — but there’s not enough evidence to say they help. Intralipids can cause side effects like nausea, rashes, or serious allergic reactions (especially in those with egg or soy allergies), and carry a small risk of infection. [7]
  
  
• Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG): This is a blood product made from pooled antibodies from thousands of donors, typically used in autoimmune diseases. Some fertility clinics use it off-label to treat recurrent miscarriage. But this treatment is costly, in limited supply, and has potential side effects like allergic reactions, kidney problems, and blood clots — without reliable evidence that it prevents miscarriage. [13]
  
  
• TNF-alpha inhibitors (e.g. Humira): These are immunosuppressive drugs usually prescribed for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Their use in fertility is highly experimental, and side effects can be serious, including a heightened risk of infections. No fertility-related studies have confirmed they improve outcomes. [7]
  
  
• Partner compatibility or “matching” tests: Sometimes offered as a way to detect “immune incompatibility” between partners, these tests are not supported by clinical evidence and are not part of recommended care pathways. [13]
  
  
• hCG supplements: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) helps maintain early pregnancy, but supplementing it in those without a proven deficiency hasn’t been shown to reduce miscarriage rates. [13]
  
  
• Metformin treatment: Metformin is sometimes prescribed to people with PCOS, especially if insulin resistance is a factor. However, there’s no strong evidence that it prevents miscarriage unless there’s a specific underlying condition being treated. [13]
  
  
• Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): PGT-A (for aneuploidy) and PGT-SR (for structural rearrangements) are used during IVF to check embryos for chromosomal abnormalities before transfer. While this can reduce the chance of transferring an embryo with issues, it hasn’t been proven to improve live birth rates in people with unexplained recurrent miscarriage — and IVF itself doesn’t lower the risk of miscarriage compared to natural conception. [13]
  
  
• Low-dose aspirin alone: Aspirin can be effective for specific conditions like antiphospholipid syndrome (when combined with heparin), but using it alone — without a clear medical reason — may be harmful. It can interfere with implantation if taken too early, and it isn’t recommended for unexplained miscarriage. [13]