Blighted Ovum
An empty pregnancy or blighted ovum is a pregnancy that occurs without an embryo in the uterus. This pregnancy problem is also known as anembryonic gestation in the medical world and is one of the causes of miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Usually, blighted ovum occurs due to chromosomal abnormalities due to imperfect cell division or poor quality of sperm or ovum. When an empty pregnancy occurs, sperm and ovum cells actually meet or fertilize. However, the result of the fertilization does not develop into an embryo.
Empty pregnancy can be characterized by pain in the stomach to bleeding. Unfortunately, this pregnancy problem can only be known after an ultrasound examination. This is because various pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, positive results on a quick pregnancy examination or test pack, and breasts that become harder are also experienced by pregnant women with an empty pregnancy.
Symptom Blighted Ovum
When pregnancy is healthy and normal, the egg that has been fertilized by sperm will undergo division. Then, in about 10 days, some of these cells will form an embryo and attach to the uterine wall, while the other part will form the gestational sac and placenta.
An empty pregnancy or blighted ovum itself occurs when the embryo fails to form or stops developing. Unfortunately, some cases of empty pregnancies appear without any symptoms, while others experience symptoms similar to miscarriage. So, a mother who experiences an empty pregnancy will feel like she is experiencing a normal pregnancy. Some of the signs are:
- Late menstruation.
- Shows positive signs of pregnancy when checked using a test pack.
- Breasts become hard and painful.
- Nausea and vomiting.
After some time, the sufferer begins to feel symptoms that indicate a miscarriage, such as:
- Spotting or bleeding appears from the vagina.
- Pain and cramps in the stomach.
- Bleeding from the vagina in increasing volume.
Some conditions indicate that a pregnancy test can give a positive result, even though there is an empty pregnancy. This is because the levels of the hormone hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin are still high. The levels of this hormone will increase during early pregnancy. The hormone is made by the placenta and can remain and even increase during early pregnancy, even though the embryo does not develop successfully.
Meanwhile, symptoms indicating a miscarriage due to an empty pregnancy will generally begin to be felt in the first three months or the first trimester of pregnancy. Most cases show symptoms in early pregnancy. As a result, miscarriage can occur before the sufferer feels that she is pregnant.
Causes of Blighted Ovum
What causes blighted ovum is not yet known for sure. However, this health problem usually occurs due to chromosomal abnormalities in the egg cell. As a result, the cell division process becomes imperfect. So, fertilization is unable to produce an embryo and its development stops.
Next, the body will stop the process that usually occurs when a woman is pregnant. When an empty pregnancy occurs, it means that the pregnancy cannot be maintained. There are several things that can increase a woman’s risk of experiencing a blighted ovum, including:
- The quality of sperm cells and egg cells.
- Genetic or hereditary factors, especially if the husband and wife have a close family relationship.
Diagnosis Blighted Ovum
In order to diagnose blighted ovum, the doctor will first conduct an interview regarding the symptoms felt. In addition, the doctor will also examine the abdomen. An ultrasound will also be performed to determine whether there is a gestational sac and contains an embryo or vice versa. The examination is usually performed when the pregnancy enters the age of 6 weeks when the embryo has begun to be visible.
Blighted Ovum Treatment
An empty ovum is very rare to recur in subsequent pregnancies. When the mother experiences a blighted ovum, of course the pregnancy can no longer be maintained. However, mothers with this condition can still have a healthy subsequent pregnancy.
There are several treatment options to overcome an empty pregnancy. The procedure is carried out based on medical history, mental health conditions, and gestational age. The options include:
- Curette
Curettage or curettage and dilation is done by opening the cervix and then removing the gestational sac that does not contain an embryo from the uterus. The procedure can also be done to find out the cause of a miscarriage by examining the tissue that has been removed.
- Drugs
Consuming some types of drugs can also be an option to overcome blighted ovum. No different from curettage, consuming drugs can also trigger pain or cramps in the stomach. In fact, compared to doing a curettage, consuming drugs can cause heavier bleeding during menstruation.
In addition to the two methods above, pregnant women who experience an empty pregnancy can let the pregnancy fall naturally. Generally, this process will occur on its own within a few weeks. However, supervision by an obstetrician is still needed to ensure that no pregnancy tissue is left and left in the uterus.
Complications of Blighted Ovum
If the remaining tissue from an empty pregnancy does not completely come out or shed from the uterus, complications that can occur are infection of the uterus or the mother will experience other pregnancy problems, namely septic miscarriage.
- Prevent Blighted Ovum
Unfortunately, most blighted ovums occur unpreventably. So, it is mandatory to have regular check-ups with an obstetrician so that the growth and development of the fetus can be monitored properly. If there are obstacles or complications in pregnancy, treatment can be carried out immediately to reduce the risk that is dangerous for the mother and fetus.
In general, there are several types of examinations that can be carried out to determine whether a woman is at risk of experiencing a blighted ovum, including:
- Preimplantation genetic testing or PGT is performed to check the genetic condition of the embryo before the embryo is implanted into the uterus.
- Sperm cell analysis to check the quality of sperm cells,
- Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH or Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) examination to measure the levels of the two hormones in the body. This examination can be used as a guideline for whether or not certain actions need to be taken to help improve the quality of egg cells.
Typically, after a miscarriage, mothers are advised to wait between one and three normal menstrual cycles before planning to get pregnant again.
When to See a Doctor?
When pregnant, of course checking the condition of the pregnancy regularly is a must. When is the right time? Here are the guidelines:
- First trimester or 4th week to 28th week: once every 1 month.
- Second trimester or week 28 to week 36: once every 2 weeks.
- Third trimester or week 36 to week 40: every 1 week.
If unusual symptoms occur, contact your obstetrician immediately for treatment.