Miscarriage: Blighted Ovum

When a woman finds out she is pregnant, it opens up a world of possibilities. When the child is wanted, the mother is overwhelmed with love for her unborn child. She begins to form a bond that only she can form with the baby inside her. The expectant mother can begin to imagine what her baby will look like, act, like, and grow up to be. Then, the unthinkable happens. In up to 15% of pregnancies, a woman will experience an early miscarriage. The majority of the miscarriages will never even be known since they occur before the woman even misses her period. One of the most common reasons for miscarriage occurs several weeks into the pregnancy and is known as a blighted ovum. The other term used for this medical condition is anembryonic pregnancy.

The term blighted ovum is given when an empty sac is present in the uterus. This means that the baby failed to develop beyond the early weeks. Generally there is no yolk sac present either. A blighted ovum is considered to occur due to chromosomal abnormalities in either the sperm or the egg or a resulting issue when they join together. The good news is that this is not considered genetic and the chances of ever experiencing this again is very slim. This is mildly comforting to the pregnanct woman experiencing a miscarriage due to a blighted ovum.

A blighted ovum is generally diagnosed after the expectant mother begins having either cramps or spotting. The doctor will order a blood test and ultrasound if the cramps are heavy and the spotting is dark brown in color. It is important to know that many pregnant women experience cramps that feel just like menstrual cramps in their first trimester. It is also common to experience some spotting as the uterus expels old blood. Often, there is no reason to be concerned.