More than one in ten women will experience a miscarriage at least once in their lives.

An international team of experts published a report in the specialist magazine The Lancet on Tuesday, according to which the number of miscarriages worldwide amounts to around 23 million per year.

That corresponds to one in seven pregnancies worldwide and around "44 per minute".

The researchers call for better medical and psychological care for those affected and at-risk patients.

The number of actual miscarriages worldwide is probably "much higher" because not every case is reported, the report says.

Around two percent of all women suffer two miscarriages, and 0.7 percent of women have lost their baby three or more times.

The risk of miscarriage is particularly high for black women.

Overall, the phenomenon was "played down for far too long and often not taken seriously," criticized the 31 scientists who compiled the data in three studies that were summarized for the report.

"It's no longer enough to simply tell the women: Keep trying," they explained in the foreword.

Especially in psychological terms, there must be more support for those affected.

Mistaken assumptions widespread

A miscarriage is defined as the loss of a fetus before the 20th to 24th week of pregnancy.

According to the report, misconceptions about miscarriages are widespread.

Thus, many women believed that miscarriage could be caused by previous use of contraceptives and that there was no effective therapy to prevent miscarriage.

Such ideas could make couples feel guilty or give up their desire to have children.

Risk factors for miscarriage include genetic changes in the fetus, the age of the mother and, to a lesser extent, the age of the father, being severely overweight or underweight, alcohol, tobacco, stress, night work, and exposure to air pollution or pesticides in the pregnant woman's environment.

"Even though most miscarriages are experienced only once, a significant proportion of the population would need treatment and support," said Siobhan Quenby of the University of Warwick, one of the authors of the report in The Lancet.

Instead, silence continues to prevail not only among the women concerned, but also among medical staff, political decision-makers and research funding.

Miscarriages could have serious health consequences, especially for women who lose their babies multiple times, the researchers warn.

"Repeated miscarriages are a devastating experience for most women, but the mental health implications are rarely recognized or addressed in medical care," said co-author Arri Coomarasamy of the University of Birmingham.

Associated with anxiety and depression

Women can also be traumatized by the experience.

According to the scientists, there is also a connection with anxiety and depression.

Around 20 percent of women also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder nine months after a miscarriage.

The authors recommend a minimum level of help for those affected, primarily psychological help for the couple and counseling before further pregnancies.

Women who have suffered multiple miscarriages need more help.

In recent months, model Chrissy Teigen and Prince Harry's wife Meghan have reported on their miscarriages.

Organizations that take care of those affected welcomed the breaking of the taboo.