What should I do if the embryo stops developing?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on May 16, 2025
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After the diagnosis of embryonic arrest, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy promptly. One can choose to undergo a uterine curettage or opt for medical abortion. Depending on the gestational age and the size of the fetus, an appropriate method of pregnancy termination should be selected. If the embryonic arrest is not expelled promptly, it could lead to a myomatous miscarriage, which easily causes gynecological infections and severe bleeding, and may even lead to hemorrhagic shock. This poses a significant risk to life safety. After embryonic arrest, it is advisable to promptly visit a hospital for consultation and examination. After undergoing an abortion surgery, it is important to rest, enhance nutrition, and avoid overexertion.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
51sec home-news-image

What should I do if the embryo stops developing?

After the diagnosis of embryonic arrest, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy promptly. One can choose to undergo a uterine curettage or opt for medical abortion. Depending on the gestational age and the size of the fetus, an appropriate method of pregnancy termination should be selected. If the embryonic arrest is not expelled promptly, it could lead to a myomatous miscarriage, which easily causes gynecological infections and severe bleeding, and may even lead to hemorrhagic shock. This poses a significant risk to life safety. After embryonic arrest, it is advisable to promptly visit a hospital for consultation and examination. After undergoing an abortion surgery, it is important to rest, enhance nutrition, and avoid overexertion.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
1min home-news-image

Will the embryo still grow if the embryo has stopped developing?

When embryonic arrest occurs, the embryo will no longer grow. There are many causes for embryonic arrest, such as congenital developmental defects of the gestational sac, abnormalities in the fertilized egg, congenital genetic diseases, and chromosomal abnormalities, all of which can easily lead to the cessation of embryonic development. At this time, regular observation of the embryonic tissue, which will no longer continue to grow and no fetal heartbeat is present, can confirm the condition of embryonic arrest. It is recommended to proceed with further treatment, such as medical abortion or surgical abortion. After the abortion, it is important to rest and enhance nutrition. It is also advised to have a thorough pregnancy check-up before the next pregnancy attempt to prevent recurrence of embryonic arrest.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Can an arrested embryo be expelled naturally?

Embryonic arrest, also known as missed miscarriage, refers to the restriction of growth and development of the gestational sac in early pregnancy due to various factors, with no fetal heartbeat detected on an ultrasound at 9 weeks of pregnancy. When embryonic arrest occurs, a natural miscarriage may happen, but it's also possible that a natural miscarriage won't occur. Once embryonic arrest is confirmed, waiting for a natural miscarriage isn't advisable, as it is unpredictable and sometimes there might be no signs of miscarriage for a long time. Unrestricted waiting in such cases can harm a woman's body. Therefore, once embryonic arrest is diagnosed, hospitalization should be promptly sought, and artificial intervention methods such as surgical or medical abortion should be considered. While there is a possibility that the embryo could be expelled naturally, the likelihood is relatively low.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can a pregnancy test still detect pregnancy if the embryo has stopped developing?

After embryonic arrest, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the body is still relatively high, and it does not immediately drop to normal. Therefore, if a pregnancy test is conducted at this time, it can still test positive. The diagnosis of embryonic arrest needs to be confirmed by an ultrasound examination, which checks the size of the fetus and whether there is a fetal heartbeat and fetal bud, and whether they correspond to the gestational age. If embryonic arrest is confirmed, it is necessary to actively proceed with an abortion, then identify and actively treat the causes of the embryonic arrest, in preparation for the next pregnancy attempt.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can medication completely clear an arrested embryo?

After confirming that there is an embryonic arrest, timely treatment should be carried out, which can be either medical abortion or curettage. If the pregnancy is less than 50 days, medical abortion can be an option. Afterwards, an ultrasound should be conducted to check if everything has been completely expelled. If no residues are found, no further treatment is required. However, if any residues are discovered, another curettage must be performed. Therefore, whether a medical abortion can be completely effective in cases of embryonic arrest depends on the gestational age at the time of the occurrence.