Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
When an Ultrasound Does Not Show the Fetus | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I had an ultrasound done today, but the doc could not see the fetus. My last menstrual cycle was March 5. Is it too early to see anything or is there a problem? The doc mentioned something called a "blighted ovum." I can't seem to find any info on this. I have no history of miscarriage. I have two children 13 and 8. Please let me know if I should be as worried as I am. Thank You.— Scared Mommy in Florida | | | ANSWER |
May 25, 2001 | | | Dear Scared Mommy,
It is so difficult when you get information that is probably bad news but yet is not certain. Waiting to figure out the destiny of a pregnancy can be agonizing. While I can't tell you what is happening with this pregnancy, I can walk you through some of the possibilities so that you know what to expect over the next few days.
There are three reasons that a first trimester ultrasound won't see the expected intrauterine pregnancy:
- It may be too early in the pregnancy to see it yet, which would be the best of the possibilities. This would mean that you conceived later than your last menstrual period indicated.
- It may be an early miscarriage, otherwise known by the term blighted ovum. In early miscarriage the fetus only develops so far and then stops growing. This usually occurs when the pregnancy wasn't developing normally.
- The pregnancy can be outside of the uterus, also referred to as an ectopic pregnancy. In most cases if they can see that the pregnancy was in the uterus, it rules out an ectopic pregnancy.
The situation can usually be clarified within a few days, or at most a week. If there is reason to think that it is an ectopic pregnancy (which does not seem to be the case here), it is very important to quickly make sure one way or the other, since tubal pregnancies can rupture and lead to internal bleeding. Even when it is not an ectopic pregnancy, it can feel like an emergency because the uncertainty is so painful, but really the destiny of the pregnancy is set, and there isn't anything anyone can do to affect it.
About one in eight pregnancies ends in miscarriage, and you don't need any risk factors to have one. It simply happens when your number comes up. Of course you will grieve if you are losing this pregnancy, but do remember that you have "living proof" that you are capable of having children. Once you recover from this loss and conceive again, you'll have a good prognosis for a successful pregnancy.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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