Can an ultrasound detect an embryonic arrest?

Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Embryonic arrest refers to a condition in early pregnancy where no fetal heartbeat appears in the gestational sac. The diagnostic criteria mainly include the lack of observable primitive heart tube pulsation via ultrasound after two months of pregnancy, at which point embryonic arrest can be confirmed. The definitive diagnosis of embryonic arrest is primarily through ultrasound. The following situations observed during an ultrasound can lead to a diagnosis of embryonic arrest: 1. If the diameter of the gestational sac exceeds three centimeters without a clear fetal heartbeat or embryo visible inside, it can be diagnosed as embryonic arrest. 2. If an embryo is already present and approximately 10 days after the appearance of the embryo, an ultrasound still does not show a fetal heartbeat, this situation can also be determined as embryonic arrest.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Is a painless abortion painful for a missed miscarriage?

After an embryonic arrest occurs, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy promptly, and a painless abortion surgery can be chosen. During the abortion surgery, anesthetic drugs are administered, usually intravenous anesthesia. During the procedure, the patient is in a sleeping state, completely unconscious, and therefore does not feel any pain. Generally, a few minutes after the surgery, the effect of the anesthetic wears off quickly and the patient will wake up. Therefore, patients can rest assured, especially for women who are particularly sensitive to pain, using painless abortion can reduce their fear and alleviate some of the pain during the procedure.

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Written by Zhao Li Li
Obstetrics
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Do you need to have an abortion if the embryo stops developing?

During prenatal check-ups, if it is indicated that the embryo has ceased to develop, it is necessary to treat the condition promptly. Normally, after the embryo has stopped developing, a detailed examination of the body is required to determine the current health status and to exclude potential complications such as coagulation dysfunction caused by the failed pregnancy. If everything is within the normal range, it is still recommended to promptly proceed with an abortion surgery to completely remove the embryo from the body to prevent long-term retention of embryonic tissue in the uterine cavity, which could lead to infections. After the abortion, it is also necessary to closely monitor the recovery of the uterine appendages and, if necessary, provide anti-inflammatory treatment as appropriate.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Will the embryo still grow if the embryo has ceased development?

Embryo arrest, also known as missed abortion, refers to the condition in early pregnancy where, due to congenital developmental defects in the gestational sac or other influencing factors, natural development does not occur, resulting in the absence of a fetal heartbeat. Once embryo arrest has been diagnosed, the embryo generally does not continue to grow, because embryo arrest means that the gestational sac has died and is gradually decaying. If a subsequent ultrasound check reveals that the embryo may have grown slightly since the previous examination, this should not be considered as growth continuation of the embryo, but rather attributed to measurement error. Therefore, once embryo arrest is detected and meets diagnostic criteria, timely re-examination may show some lengthening of the embryo. However, in the absence of a fetal heartbeat, it still needs to be treated as embryo arrest, and an abortion procedure should be promptly performed.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Can you have intercourse with an arrested embryo development?

It is not recommended to have sexual intercourse when embryo arrest occurs. Embryo arrest, also known as missed miscarriage, refers to the abnormal development of the gestational sac during early pregnancy, and no fetal heartbeat is detected on an ultrasound by the ninth week of pregnancy. Once embryo arrest is diagnosed in clinical practice, a dilation and curettage surgery should be performed as soon as possible to minimize the impact on the fetus. However, during embryo arrest, since the gestational sac itself is not developing normally and is unstable, it is not advisable to have sexual activity. Sexual activity could stimulate the uterus to contract, leading to bleeding, which is not conducive to managing the embryo arrest. Moreover, sexual activity can easily lead to gynecological inflammation. If sexual activity causes gynecological inflammation, it is necessary to treat the inflammation before proceeding with the abortion, which can delay the process. Therefore, it is not recommended to have sexual intercourse during embryo arrest.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can a miscarriage be detected through a blood test?

Embryo arrest is primarily diagnosed through ultrasound examination, and blood tests alone cannot fully determine embryo arrest. Pregnant women still need to rely on comprehensive examinations to make a diagnosis. During pregnancy, the levels of progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are continuously rising. If there are factors that cause embryo arrest, these values will no longer increase, or there may be a continuous decline observed during tests. Therefore, embryo arrest must rely on ultrasound examination for accurate diagnosis, supplemented by blood tests to measure hormone levels, using a comprehensive judgment to confirm the condition of embryo arrest.