A blighted ovum is a type of miscarriage that happens very early in pregnancy. Many times it happens so early that the woman is unaware that she has suffered a miscarriage. She may think her period has started, when it is actually a very early miscarriage.
How Does A Blighted Ovum Occur?
This type of early miscarriage is usually an accident that can happen to any woman. For some reason, the fertilized egg will implant in the uterus, but no embryo develops. This is due to some chromosomal abnormality of the embryo that will never develop into a baby. An ultrasound may show a sac, but it will be empty. Most of the time this is a one-time event for a woman, and has no bearing on her ability to get pregnant again and give birth to a healthy baby.
When the egg is fertilized, some of the cells develop into the embryo, and others develop into the placenta. Because of the abnormality in the chromosomes (too many or too few), the embryo does not develop. The pregnancy sac will continue to develop, as well as the placenta.
A pregnancy test will show a positive result because the pregnancy sac and placenta are triggering the body to produce hcg (pregnancy hormone). The hormones will cause the woman to experience pregnancy symptoms as well. If no vaginal bleeding has occurred yet, she will not realize that there is no baby until an ultrasound shows the empty pregnancy sac. A vaginal ultrasound will confirm the miscarriage.
Treatment
The best treatment for a blighted ovum is to allow the body to miscarry on its own. This includes passing the pregnancy tissue in the form of vaginal, period-like bleeding. The hcg levels should decrease on their own, and eventually reach the non-pregnant level. This can take up to a few weeks.
If, for some reason, the body does not completely rid itself of all the pregnancy tissue, a surgical procedure called a D&C ("dilation and curettage") may be opted for. This includes surgically removing all the tissue related to the pregnancy. This is usually done if the hcg levels are fluctuating, or are taken far too long to drop.
If an ultrasound is conducted, it may show signs that placental remains are still in the woman's body, and thus are contributing to the hcg levels still elevated. A D&C will remove this tissue and finally allow the woman's body to return to it's non-pregnant state.
Subsequent Pregnancies
A woman who suffers from a blighted ovum should be able to get pregnant again and deliver a full-term baby. However, the body has to rid itself of the hcg prior to being able to get pregnant again. If hcg is still elevated, ovulation will not occur.
Once the levels of hcg drop, the menstrual cycle should start again. Ovulation should occur on the woman's next cycle, giving her the opportunity to attempt conception again.
Some doctors recommend waiting two full menstrual cycles before trying to get pregnant. Others suggest waiting a little longer. Some women have claimed that they conceived before even getting their first period after suffering a blighted ovum.
In any case, it's important that the woman is physically and emotionally healed before trying to conceive again.
For more pregnancy-related information, please visit: www.complete-pregnancy-guide.com
References:
1. American Pregnancy Association
2. ourmiscarriage.com
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