Is there a high chance of fetal arrest at 20 weeks of pregnancy?

First-time pregnant mothers often learn about some risks of pregnancy in books. The most worrying thing is fetal arrest during pregnancy. Fetal arrest means that the embryo stops developing in the body and may even die, which leads to spontaneous abortion. Mothers do not want to encounter this because fetal arrest accounts for 50% of spontaneous abortions each year. Let's take a look at the chances of a miscarriage at 20 weeks of pregnancy and what the symptoms of fetal arrest are.

The chance of fetal arrest

1. 80% of fetal growth retardation occurs before 12 weeks of pregnancy: Some expectant mothers are worried about fetal growth retardation throughout the pregnancy because they are influenced by sayings such as "experiencing fetal growth retardation in an advanced stage of pregnancy and going for induced abortion very sadly". In fact, this worry is unnecessary. Studies have shown that 80% of fetal growth retardation occurs before 12 weeks of pregnancy, with more occurring before 8 weeks. If there is no problem with the embryo's chromosomes themselves and there are no abnormalities in the fetal developing organs, the possibility of fetal growth retardation after 15 weeks of pregnancy is only 0.6%.

Be alert to signs of fetal growth retardation: It is difficult to monitor the fetal heart rate at home before 12 weeks of pregnancy. Expectant mothers can detect fetal growth retardation as early as possible by observing whether pregnancy reactions such as nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy or symptoms of breast tenderness persist, or whether they suddenly weaken or disappear. If you experience vaginal bleeding or severe lower abdominal pain that is stronger than menstrual period, you need to seek medical attention immediately.

2. 50% of fetal growth retardation is a form of survival of the fittest: Some expectant mothers are very nervous about fetal growth retardation, and even feel that if fetal growth retardation occurs, it means that they are unable to keep the child, and they blame themselves and feel overly guilty. In fact, 50% of miscarriages or fetal growth retardation in early pregnancy are caused by abnormalities in the embryo's chromosomes themselves, which is a natural process of survival of the fittest. Even if the doctor tries every possible way to help the expectant mother keep the baby, the quality of the baby may not be high. Therefore, expectant mothers should keep a normal attitude towards pregnancy and childbirth, do not force it too much, and do not always be nervous and anxious. The emotions of tension and anxiety themselves can have adverse effects on the fetus.

From a medical perspective, fetal demise refers to the death of the embryo at a certain stage of development and the cessation of further development. The fertilized egg is like a seed that has to go through a series of complex and wonderful processes before it will eventually grow into a healthy baby. If the fertilized egg does not germinate well in the initial stage, it will most likely stop growing. We call this abnormal embryonic development that occurs in early pregnancy "fetal arrest."

If embryonic arrest occurs, all pregnancy reactions of the pregnant mother will gradually disappear. First of all, there will be no more early pregnancy reactions such as nausea and vomiting, and the feeling of breast swelling will also be reduced. Then there will be vaginal bleeding, often dark red bloody leucorrhea. Finally, there may be lower abdominal pain and expulsion of the embryo. The above symptoms vary from person to person. Some people may not even show any signs, but may directly experience abdominal pain and then miscarriage, or the embryo may stop developing without any symptoms and be discovered through routine B-ultrasound examination.

Most pregnant women have no obvious symptoms after the fetus stops developing. Some pregnant women may have spotting, but generally have no abdominal pain, which is different from threatened abortion.