The new online tool helps women who previously had a miscarriage understand their chance of a successful pregnancy, as well as access personalised advice on tests, treatment and lifestyle changes.
The tool has been developed by academics from across the University of Warwick, including experts in healthcare and maths, in partnership with Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research. They analysed medical data and created a predictive model that forms the basis of a predictive algorithm.
The tool, available through a website on phone, tablet or desktop, asks for five variables - age, BMI, number of previous miscarriages, polycystic ovaries diagnosis and number of previous live births - to accurately determine the probability of a successful next pregnancy.
Extra information entered into the tool, such as ethnicity and smoking status, does not contribute toward the calculation of the chance of a successful pregnancy, but helps shape the resulting personalised supportive information and advice.
Through collection of this (anonymised) data, this tool will also play a valuable part in developing an understanding the factors that increase the risk of miscarriage.
Professor Siobhan Quenby, who is also a consultant at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, analysed data from people who attended the Coventry Miscarriage Clinic, including Coventry locals, to give the tool a clinical grounding.
Professor Quenby said: "This new tool will help provide knowledge and reassurance to pregnant women across the UK at what is often a hugely difficult point in their lives. I'd like to thank my colleagues across the university who have worked together to make this new resource possible".
Professor Nigel Burroughs who teaches maths at the university commented: "This research and predictive tool are great examples of the things that can be achieved when we work across disciplines, and an excellent showcase of how applied maths can impact real world issues".
Dr Ria Clarke, obstetrician and member of the support tool advisory board, says that the tool is "absolutely something that you would want to use if you've had miscarriages. If this tool was available, it would have avoided a lot of Googling. It gave more support than I expected."
Try the Miscarriage Support Tool here: www.miscarriagetool.tommys.org
