Blighted Ovum

Learn more about one of the most common types of miscarriage that takes place in the early stage of pregnancy - about blighted ovum. Causes and symptoms of blighted ovum are also here.
Blighted Ovum
One of the most common types of miscarriage that takes place in the early stage of pregnancy is a blighted ovum. This type of miscarriage also known as an embryonic pregnancy, a blighted ovum happens when a fertilized egg affixes strongly to the wall of the uterus, but doesn’t contain any embryo. Instead of this, all that forms is a placenta and membrane. As a rule blighted ovum will be miscarried by the body in a natural way, but sometimes the tissues inside of the uterus have to be eliminated by a physician.

Blighted Ovum Causes
Although a blighted ovum can sometimes occur as a result of low hormone levels in the body, the main cause of the condition develops to be chromosomal. A blighted ovum is considered to happen when the chromosomes making up the fetus become faulty or disordered, resulting in severe genetic defects. Your body distinguishes these chromosomal abnormalities and decides to end the pregnancy.

There are many reasons why chromosomal abnormalities can occur. Sometimes, the egg or sperm that are joined during fertilization have defective cells. Other times, chromosomes can turn out to be improperly arranged during division of the fertilized egg.

Candidates for Blighted Ovum
Any couple can have a blighted ovum and, unhappily, there is simply no method of telling whether or not you will have this type of miscarriage. Your risk for having a miscarriage in general does come out to rise with age. Nevertheless, age is by no means a decisive pointer that you will experience a blighted ovum.

Symptoms of Blighted Ovum
The most part of women who experience a blighted ovum miscarriage don’t even know that they are pregnant at the time. Symptoms can be gentle or even missing, and you may only see that your menstrual period is a little bit later than usual. Women who do get a positive pregnancy test will likely experience many of the common pregnancy symptoms, including:
  vomiting and nausea;
  tender breasts;
  fatigue;
  reddish-brown vaginal spotting or bleeding;
  abdominal cramps;
  tender breasts.

Diagnosing a Blighted Ovum
Unlike with a chemical pregnancy, a blighted ovum cannot be diagnosed by measuring hCG levels. The reason is that the placenta that is present with a blighted ovum will go on to release hCG for a short period of time. This can often cause many women to mistakenly consider that they are still pregnant. Ultrasound is the only way to diagnose a blighted ovum. An abdominal or transvaginal ultrasound will reveal whether or not a fetus is developing within your uterus.