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| Missed Miscarriage | A missed miscarriage happens when the fetus dies; on the other hand the woman's body goes on as if the fetus is still alive. A missed miscarriage is usually diagnosed when fetal heart tones are not heard or the size of the uterus has not changed. After this an ultrasound will be done which will display a fetus that stopped growing quite a few weeks previous to the ultrasound and there will be no fetal heart tones.
Missed Miscarriage Signs and Symptoms
In the initial phase a missed miscarriage usually has no signs and symptoms. The woman will usually believe as if the pregnancy is going good. There are some women who may undergo some dark brown vaginal spotting but this is not a definitive symptom of a missed miscarriage. Other women have noticed that they have lost some of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy like breast softness, nausea, and fatigue. With a missed miscarriage women will not have lower abdominal or pelvic pain.
Missed Miscarriage Causes
Causes for a missed miscarriage depend on when during the pregnancy the missed miscarriage happens. Owing to the fact that most missed miscarriages happen during the first twelve weeks of gestation the cause is most commonly as a result of chromosomal abnormalities within the fetus. These chromosomal abnormalities can be because of several factors including poor quality sperm or egg, abnormal cell division of the fetus, and genetic abnormalities of either mother or father. Other causes of a missed miscarriage include infection (ie. Chlamydia, Cytomegalovirus, Genital herpes, Syphilis, Toxoplasmosis, and Rubella), abnormal uterine anatomy (ie. unicornate uterus or septate uterus), abnormal hormonal levels within the mother (ie. low progesterone), systemic illnesses (ie. untreated thyroid disease or diabetes), immune disorders, and substance abuse.
Missed Miscarriage Treatment
A missed miscarriage needs medical interference. The treatment options for a missed miscarriage are medical (medicine) or surgical (D&C). The surgical treatment option for a missed miscarriage is a D&C (dilatation & curettage). A D&C involves a women going into the hospital and having anesthesia while an obstetrician dilates her cervix and curettes (scrapes) the uterine lining to make sure total elimination of all products of conception. This is performed for a missed miscarriage to avoid infections, harsh bleeding and other related complications. A profit of this type of treatment is that the products of conception are sent to a pathologist for assessment and genetic testing can be performed if so desired. Another treatment option for a missed miscarriage is medicine. A physician will put prostaglandins inside the vagina next to the cervix to let the cervix to make softer, dilate, and contract. After a certain quantity of time if there are no uterine contractions then the physician can start pitocin. Once the contractions begin the woman’s body will bring the products of conception. Again this treatment option needs the woman to go into the hospital for her care. Another follow-up test that should be done is serial hCG levels to make sure that they are decreasing.
An extremely complicated part of a missed miscarriage is the emotional side. A woman and the couple have to cope with the missed miscarriage. With a missed miscarriage the couple feels that their pregnancy is going just fine only to be overwhelmed by with the news that their fetus has died. If a couple has experienced several early miscarriages (2-3) there is genetic counseling available through their physician.
It is recommended that a couple wait at least one regular menstrual cycle before trying to conceive again after a missed miscarriage.
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