What if there is an embryo but no fetal heartbeat?

After learning that they are pregnant, many friends will go to the hospital for a check-up as soon as possible. If the B-ultrasound reveals that there is an embryo but no fetal heartbeat, many people will be very anxious. Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to understand the reason why there is an embryo but no fetal heartbeat. The following article will introduce to you what happens when there is an embryo but no fetal heartbeat? Please see the detailed introduction below.

As the embryo develops, the gestational sac is formed in 30-40 days, the fetal bud is formed in 40-50 days, and the fetal heart is formed in 50-60 days. Therefore, B-ultrasound should generally be done around 60 days. At this time, you can see whether the gestational sac, fetal bud, and fetal heart are normal. The first month of pregnancy is the embryonic stage, during which the new life grows the fastest in its life. During this period, the prototypes of the fetal nervous system and circulatory organs (the basic tissues) have almost appeared, and the liver begins to develop significantly from this period; the prototypes of the eyes and nose have not yet been generated, but the prototypes of the mouth and chin can be seen; the umbilical cord connected to the mother also begins to develop from this period. So what happens if an embryo is found but no fetal heartbeat during B-ultrasound?

The fetal heart rate is the heartbeat of the fetus, which can usually be heard in the abdomen with a normal stethoscope between 17 and 20 weeks. The fetal heart rate is 120-160 beats/minute, sometimes even faster and less regular. It becomes more regular towards the end of pregnancy. Sometimes there may be a brief pause in the heartbeat, or the heart rate may reach 180 beats per minute, which is normal. However, if this phenomenon occurs frequently or for a long time, you should seek medical attention in time. The normal fetal heart rate is regular and strong, like the ticking of a clock, at 120-160 beats/minute. If it is <120 beats/minute or >160 beats/minute, you can listen to it again at intervals of 10-20 minutes. If it is still abnormal, it indicates fetal intrauterine hypoxia. If the fetal heart rate is within the abnormal range and is accompanied by irregular fetal heart rhythm, it indicates that the fetal hypoxia is more serious.

The presence of an embryo without a fetal heart may be caused by the following reasons:

1. Abnormal embryonic development. It is the most common cause of early miscarriage, and miscarriage caused by chromosomal abnormalities accounts for about 50-60%.

2. Abnormal placenta. Due to incomplete development of the trophoblast, degeneration of the placental villi, or the placenta being attached too low, fetal-placental circulation may be impaired, leading to miscarriage.

3. Acute infectious diseases may cause pathogens or toxins to invade through the placenta, resulting in fetal death, or uterine contractions and miscarriage due to high fever or poisoning.

4. Severe anemia or heart failure may lead to fetal death due to lack of oxygen.

5. Endocrine disorders, such as corpus luteum insufficiency, lead to decidua hypoplasia and affect the development of fertilized eggs.

6. Uterine hypoplasia, uterine fibroids or deformities can also hinder embryonic development.

7. Sometimes, the relaxation of the internal cervix may cause inability to withstand the increasing pressure of the fetal sac, leading to late miscarriage.

8. Strong mental stimulation, trauma or sexual intercourse can also cause miscarriage, but the inducing factors are often mainly caused by defects in the embryo itself.

It turns out that the situation of having an embryo but no fetal heartbeat depends on the situation. If the pregnancy is short, then this situation is normal. If the fetal heartbeat is not present when it should be, it is possible that the embryo has stopped growing. If this is the case, I hope you will go to the hospital in time for relevant examinations and symptomatic treatment.