michell duggarFollowing last week's miscarriage of their 20th child, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have announced plans for a memorial service to be held Wednesday. They've also named the baby: Jubilee Shalom Duggar. Michelle, who was held for observation in the hospital over part of the weekend, is expected to be released today.

With Michelle's health in the spotlight, everyone is naturally speculating about what caused the 45-year-old mother of 19 to suffer a miscarriage. The most popular theory out there, it seems, has to do with Michelle's age: When a mom is older, the risk for genetic abnormalities is higher, and these defects often lead to miscarriage.

But after the way Michelle's pregnancy with now 2-year-old Josie went, it seems to me that her age has less to do with her body giving out than the fact that she's given birth 19 times.

Josie was born premature because Michelle had gall bladder problems and preeclampsia. Not only is there an increased risk for women who've had preeclampsia in one pregnancy to develop it again in the next, there are several other significant physical risks which get higher with each successive pregnancy. 

Among the potential complications: maternal and/or neonatal death, massive hemorrhage during delivery, uterine prolapse, problems with the placenta caused by scar tissue from previous pregnancies, and infections in the mother's reproductive system.

Those are some pretty serious risks. So I find it strange that everyone is so quick to point to Duggar's age as the reason why she lost Jubilee Shalom. I'm not saying there aren't health issues associated with being an older mom, but in the case of Michelle Duggar, her age isn't all that striking compared to how many times she's given birth.

Do you think Michelle Duggar's age or the number of times she's given birth is to blame for her last miscarriage?

 

Image via TLC