What to do if embryonic arrest occurs

When fetal growth retardation occurs, the mother's body will undergo a series of changes. First, there will be a decrease in estrogen, and the body's pregnancy reaction will gradually disappear. However, because fetal growth retardation is different from ordinary accidental miscarriage, there will not be such obvious signs of miscarriage, and they can only be detected after going to the hospital for examination.

Early diagnosis

symptom

If fetal arrest occurs, the mother's body will undergo a series of changes to facilitate its expulsion. First, the levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease, the body produces an immune rejection effect on the embryo, and blood vessels between the mother and the embryo form blood clots and break off, which may cause vaginal bleeding in the process. We call the bleeding at this time threatened abortion, which is a signal that the embryo is about to be expelled from the body. This needs to be differentiated from vaginal bleeding during normal embryonic development. If local blood vessels rupture during normal embryonic development, vaginal bleeding may occur. This bleeding will not cause the embryo to be expelled from the body, so it cannot be called threatened abortion.

There will be brief lower abdominal pain during the expulsion of the embryo. Early pregnancy reactions may be alleviated after embryonic arrest, but early pregnancy reactions themselves vary from individual to individual, so early pregnancy reactions cannot be used to judge the development of the embryo. Most pregnant women have no obvious symptoms after the fetus stops developing, and a clear diagnosis is required through hormone testing combined with early pregnancy ultrasound testing.

diagnosis

Patients with a history of amenorrhea should undergo B-ultrasound examination in the early stages of pregnancy, regardless of whether they have spotting or not, to avoid missing the diagnosis of fetal growth retardation. B-ultrasound monitoring of embryo and fetal development: if there is no gestational sac at ≥6 weeks, or if there is a gestational sac but it is deformed and wrinkled, when the gestational sac is ≥4cm but no fetal bud is seen, and when the fetal bud (branch head length) is ≥4~5mm and there is no fetal heartbeat during vaginal ultrasound, it can be determined that the embryo has arrested. In addition, blood β-hcG measurement can also help diagnose fetal growth retardation. If blood β-hcG is <100IU/L at ≥5 weeks, or <2000IU/L at ≥6 weeks, it indicates insufficient secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin. If the value no longer increases during dynamic observation, it can be determined that the chorionic epithelium is degenerating and the embryo is abnormal.