MISCARRIAGE- BLIGHTED OVUM AND MISSED ABORTION
I want to discuss missed abortion.
Missed abortion refers to a pregnancy that has stopped developing but has not yet been expelled from the uterus. Sometimes, there can also be a difference between the pregnancy age calculated from the last menstrual period and the age estimated by an ultrasound scan. This is because ultrasound estimates the pregnancy age based on what is seen and measured during the scan, while manual calculation is usually based on the date of the last menstrual period.
For example, based on your last menstrual period, you may calculate the pregnancy to be four weeks, while an ultrasound may estimate it at five weeks based on the measurements seen during the scan. A difference like this does not, by itself, mean that you have had a missed abortion.
A missed abortion occurs when the pregnancy has stopped developing, and the ultrasound findings indicate that the pregnancy is no longer viable. This may happen after a fetal pole and heartbeat were previously seen, but the pregnancy subsequently stops developing.
When a pregnancy stops developing at a very early stage and an embryo or fetal pole does not develop as expected, it may be described as an anembryonic pregnancy (commonly called a blighted ovum). When an embryo or fetal pole had developed and a heartbeat was previously detected before the pregnancy stopped developing, it may be described as a missed miscarriage.
If you experience symptoms or have been told that you may have a missed miscarriage or an anembryonic pregnancy, please see a qualified healthcare professional. They can confirm the diagnosis and discuss the appropriate and safe management options with you.
