Risks and causes of molar pregnancy

A molar pregnancy occurs when the fertilisation of the egg by the sperm goes wrong. This leads to the growth of abnormal cells or clusters of water filled sacs inside the womb. They are not cancer (they are benign). There is a very small risk that the molar cells could become cancerous if they are not all removed. 

Molar pregnancies are caused by an imbalance in genetic material (chromosomes) in the pregnancy. They are rare. In the UK, there is about 1 molar pregnancy for every 600 pregnancies.

Risk factors for molar pregnancy

A risk factor is anything that can increase your chance of developing a disease or condition. Each condition has different risk factors. 

Researchers haven't yet been able to identify what causes molar pregnancies. But we do know of some factors that increase a woman's risk of developing one.

Remember that having a risk factor doesn't mean that you will have a molar pregnancy. Most women who have one or more risk factors never develop a molar pregnancy. And some people who have none of the risk factors do develop one. 

Age

All women who become pregnant have a risk of developing a molar pregnancy but the risk is very small. Researchers have found that some types of molar pregnancy are more common in certain age groups.

Complete molar pregnancies are more common in women over the age of 40. There is a moderate increased risk for young teenagers.

Age doesn't affect the risk of partial molar pregnancies.

Ethnicity

There is some evidence that molar pregnancy is higher in Asian women compared to non-Asian women. It isn't yet clear why this is the case. 

Previous molar pregnancy

If you've already had one molar pregnancy, you have about a 1 in 100 chance (1%) of having another one. This means that about 99 out of every 100 women (99%) who become pregnant after a molar pregnancy will have a normal pregnancy.

If you have had two or more molar pregnancies your risk of having another is higher, at about 15 to 20 out of 100 (about 15 to 20%).