In this article, we discussed the meaning of missed miscarriage, the symptoms, the causes, we also talked about the treatment.
Definition
A missed miscarriage is also known as a missed abortion or spontaneous abortion. It’s a miscarriage in which the fetus didn’t form or is no longer developing, but the placenta and developing tissues are still in your uterus.
A missed abortion gets its name because this type of miscarriage doesn’t cause symptoms of bleeding and cramps that occur in other types of miscarriages. It’s common to have no symptoms during a missed abortion. This can make it difficult for you to know that the loss has occurred.
The symptoms of a missed miscarriage
It’s common to have no symptoms with a missed miscarriage. You may also notice:
brownish discharge
lessening or disappearing early pregnancy symptoms like nausea and breast soreness
The Causes a Missed Miscarriage:
The causes of missed abortion are not fully known. About 50% of miscarriages happen because the embryo has the wrong number of chromosomes.
Sometimes, miscarriage may be caused by a uterine problem like scarring.
You may be at higher risk for missed miscarriage if you have an endocrine or an autoimmune disorder, or are a heavy smoker. Physical trauma can cause a missed miscarriage as well.
If you have it, your doctor likely won’t be able to pinpoint a reason. In a missed miscarriage, the embryo stops developing, and there’s usually no clear explanation.
Stress, exercise, sex, and travel do not cause miscarriage, so it’s important not to blame yourself.
Treatment for Missed Miscarriage
Expectant management
This is a wait-and-see approach. Usually, if it is left untreated, the embryonic tissue will pass and you’ll miscarry naturally. This is successful in more than 65% of women experiencing it .
If it’s not successful, you may need medication or surgery to pass the embryonic tissue and placenta.
Medical management
Your healthcare professional may prescribe a medication called misoprostol. This medication helps trigger your body Trusted Source to pass the remaining tissue to complete the miscarriage. This means it will cause cramping, bleeding, and possibly blood clots.
You’ll take the medication at the doctor’s office or hospital and then return home to complete the miscarriage. It usually takes about 4-5 hours for most people to pass the remaining pregnancy tissue.
Surgical management
Dilation and curettage (D&C) surgery may be necessary to remove the remaining tissue from the uterus.
Your doctor may recommend a D&C immediately following your diagnosis of it. They could also recommend it later if the tissue doesn’t pass on its own or with the use of medication.
Conclusion
A “missed miscarriage” is when a pregnancy stops developing and the fetus dies in the womb, but the woman experiences no symptoms like bleeding or pain, essentially meaning she is unaware of the pregnancy loss and may still feel pregnant, with the diagnosis usually only confirmed by an ultrasound showing no fetal heartbeat; it’s also known as a “silent miscarriage.
READ: Understanding the Concept of Infertility