Frozen pregnancy is not uncommon, as it occurs for a variety of reasons - from maternal nutrition and infectious diseases, to fetal anomalies (often genetic ones).
The most common stop of fetal development is observed in the early stages of pregnancy - up to 14 weeks. But at the same time any pregnancy that stopped its development up to 28 weeks can be considered dead.
How does frozen pregnancy manifest?
In the early stages - up to 14 weeks - the frozen pregnancy is asymptomatic, and is most often found during a routine visit to the consultation. At the same time, the obstetrician-gynecologist notes that the size of the uterus does not match the expected duration of pregnancy, and with ultrasound, the doctor discovers a stop of embryo development and a discrepancy in its size with the gestation period.
Second trimester of pregnancy - signs of a stiff pregnancy
Later terms of pregnancy have more indicative symptoms of fetal fading. This is associated with a greater rate of increase in the size of the uterus, the appearance of perturbations and palpitation of the fetus. With a routine examination, the gynecologist determines the inconsistency of the size of the uterus during pregnancy. The doctor at the ultrasound examination does not determine the fetal heartbeat, marks smaller fetal sizes and placental changes. When a clinical study of blood - identify a halt in the growth of hCG or even its decrease. Subjectively, the woman ceases to feel the fetus moving.
The dead fetus causes the following symptoms:
- abrupt cessation of toxicosis (if any);
- In the early stages, bloody spotting can appear - as evidence of embryo rejection;
- pulling pain in the lower abdomen;
- ceases to grow in weight and increase the circumference of the abdomen;
- laboratory - drops the level of progesterone and hCG;
- there is no fetal movement.
Even if you are marking the signs of a frozen fetus - do not rush to conclusions. The final diagnosis can be made only by a doctor! Often there is a developmental gap or so-called fetal development retardation syndrome, when there is also a discrepancy in the size of the fetus during pregnancy, when the palpitation of the fetus begins to be heard much later and later its movements appear.
However, if there are pains in the lower abdomen, bloody, smearing, red-brown discharge - this is the reason for an urgent call to a doctor! This may be a sign of a beginning abortion, a threat of abortion, placental abruption and other complications.
What are the signs of a stiff pregnancy?
Only signs that clinically confirm fading can be considered reliable:
- Stopping growth or lowering hCG.
- Ultrasound signs: absence of palpitation and fetal movement, cessation of fetal growth in comparison with the previous study.
- The absence of an uterine enlargement typical for this period of pregnancy.
The third sign, in the absence of the two previous ones, can not be reliable for establishing the diagnosis of a frozen pregnancy, since the degree of uterus enlargement is directly related to the constitutional features of both the pregnant woman and the unborn child.