Blighted ovum is also known as anembryonic pregnancy. Nowadays, it is referred to as early pregnancy failure. This condition happens when upon fertilization the egg implants on the uterus but something went wrong in its development. Only the pregnancy sac is present and no embryo can be seen. Because of abnormal development the embryo may have stopped early on in its development or it did not develop at all. This condition is usually seen during the first trimester of pregnancy. It is also a common cause of miscarriage during this stage. Although some women do not even know that that they are pregnant, most are already experiencing the signs of pregnancy like nausea, easy fatigability, sore breasts, etc. Then suddenly there is a mild abdominal cramp or pain like the pain felt during menstruation. This is accompanied by vaginal spotting or bleeding. Upon consultation and ultrasound examination there is only an empty gestational sac. The pregnancy test may still be positive during this time because the hormonal level may still be high. But as the hormonal levels go down the symptoms will start to subside and the pregnancy test will turn negative. Chromosomal problems is the usual cause of this condition. There can either be abnormality in the cell development or there is poor quality of either the egg or the sperm. Oftentimes it is the egg that is of poor quality. If there are no complications or risk of infection the female body is allowed to pass out the tissue on its own with no invasive surgical procedures done. If there is indication, suction curettage or dilation and curettage can be done. The couple is advised to wait for at least 4 to 6 weeks before they try to conceive again. |
