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Reading 2 mins.
in collaboration with
Dr Odile Bagot (Gynecologist-obstetrician)
Medical validation:
January 03, 2023
Now available in full on Netflix, the Harry & Meghan series looks back on a traumatic episode in the life of the Sussexes: Meghan’s miscarriage caused – a priori – by “a peak of stress”. What is it in reality? Can stress cause miscarriage? Update on the question with Odile Bagot, gynecologist.
In the second part of their documentary, the Sussexes return to a particularly painful episode: the miscarriage of Meghan Markle, at the end of 2020. For Prince Harry, there is no doubt: the media are responsible for the loss of this child.
Significant stress generated by the “Associated Newspapers” affair
It was in November 2020 that the former actress of the television series Suits revealed to the world that she suffered a miscarriage.
“I knew, the moment I hugged my first child tightly, that I was losing the second“.
At the time of this miscarriage, Meghan Markle was in the middle of a legal battle against the Associated Newspapers – a publisher of the DailyMail who had published a handwritten letter from the ex-actress to her father.
For Prince Harry, there is no doubt: society is responsible for the miscarriage of his wife.
“If my wife had a miscarriage, it’s the Mail’s fault“, he assures. “Do we really know if the miscarriage is due to this? Of course not. But thinking about all the stress generated, the lack of sleep and the pregnancy… This pregnancy of a few weeks… I can say, from what I saw, this miscarriage resulted from what they did to him.”
Stress is not a “miscarriage” factor
For Dr. Odile Bagot, gynecologist, this conclusion of the Sussexes is a little too fast.
“No studies have proven that stress increases miscarriages, except in the case of a very high stress peak, such as being stung by a swarm of bees. In reality, the main cause of miscarriages is the anomaly of the chromosomes. At the time of creation, there are many “misfires” and the body naturally eliminates non-viable eggs. This is also the case in women over 35-40 years old, who have more chromosomal abnormalities… and therefore more miscarriages..”
The gynecologist also recalls that the cause of miscarriages is only sought if they are “repeated” (i.e. after 3 minimum).