Research

Holistic approach to miscarriage

Working together to identify novel causes and individualized approaches for each patient

Miscarriage is the most common complication of early pregnancy, occurring in 10-40% of all pregnancies.  Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a disease distinct from infertility, defined as the spontaneous loss of two or more pregnancies and affects as many as 5% of couples attempting to build their families.  There are many known causes of miscarriage including genetic, uterine, and circulatory disorders, however the majority of patients with RPL remain without definite answers as to the cause of their pregnancy losses.  Because of the multiple potential causes of miscarriage, Dr. Ruth Lathi has assembled a group of specialists with a diverse set of backgrounds and interests to work together to identify novel causes and individualized approaches to each unique patient.  Understanding the physical and psychological consequences of miscarriage are a central focus of this group, as we strive for a holistic approach to miscarriage care.

Ruth Lathi, MD

Dr. Ruth Lathi is the Director of Research for Fertility and Reproductive health and founder of the Stanford multispecialty Recurrent Pregnancy Loss program. Dr. Lathi first became interested in research while working with Dr. Eric Lander at MIT, investigating genetic causes of hypertension. This experience taught her the power of collaborative work and innovative genetic techniques in discovering mechanisms of disease. Dr. Lathi received her medical degree from UCSF, completed her OB/GYN training at Baylor college of Medicine, and fellowship and Stanford.  She is a founding member and past president of the Early pregnancy special interest group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and a Past president of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society.  Currently a Professor in Stanford's Department of OB/GYN, her clinical work focuses on patients with reproductive disorders such as infertility and pregnancy loss.

Her research focuses on:

  1. Recurrent pregnancy loss
  2. Reproductive genetics and the role of preimplantation genetic testing of embryos
  3. Pregnancy health after infertility and assisted reproduction
  4. Endometrial factors involved in implantation and early pregnancy

She has received funding from both industry and the NIH to study the genetic causes of miscarriage, the uterine microbiome, endometrial gene expression, and pregnancy health after frozen embryo transfer.  Her collaborative research approach brings in the expertise from several departments at Stanford to solve complex reproductive disorders.  Her work focusing on miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage has led to improved accuracy of chromosome testing of miscarriages, demonstrating a link between environmental exposures and miscarriage, elucidating the clinical utility of pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos, and understanding the impact of maternal weight on reproductive disorders.  She has received numerous awards for her work and is a frequently invited speaker at national and international scientific meetings including, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, International congress of Human Genetics, and the world congress of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.

If you are a patient interested in volunteering for a clinical study, please email rei-research@lists.stanford.edu.

Research & Innovation

Research studies evaluate new medical approaches, devices, drugs, or other treatments. We are currently conducting clinical research studies in reproductive medicine.

Dr. Lathi explains the factors that may cause repeat miscarriages, the timing for physical and emotional recovery and resources to support women through this difficult process.