Why is there no bleeding or abdominal pain when an embryo stops developing?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on April 05, 2025
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After the occurrence of embryonic arrest, some pregnant women may not experience any uncomfortable symptoms, nor do they have vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain.

Embryonic arrest is detected through ultrasound examination, by observing the shape of the gestational sac and whether there is an embryo and fetal heartbeat present. If there is still no fetal heartbeat after eight weeks of pregnancy, it is determined that fetal development has ceased, or if the size of the embryo does not grow progressively with the gestational weeks, it is also judged as embryonic arrest. At this time, timely treatment should be performed, and one can choose either surgical abortion or medical abortion, rather than waiting and observing.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
58sec home-news-image

Can a miscarried embryo be expelled naturally?

Embryonic arrest refers to the lack of natural development of the gestational sac in early pregnancy, characterized by the absence of a fetal heartbeat. If there is still no fetal heartbeat or embryo detected during an ultrasound at 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, it should be diagnosed as embryonic arrest. After embryonic arrest occurs, the vast majority require medical intervention. Of course, some cases of embryonic arrest can resolve naturally, leading to a miscarriage. However, this is not a reliable occurrence and is relatively rare in clinical practice. Moreover, the longer the wait, the greater the potential harm to the woman's health. For embryonic arrest, once diagnosed, it is urgent to intervene medically to remove the gestational sac from the uterus, minimizing harm to the woman. Common methods include medical abortion or a dilation and curettage surgery, either of which can be chosen.

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Written by Liu Wei Jie
Obstetrics
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Embryonic arrest generally occurs at what time?

First, let's discuss what embryonic arrest means. There are two scenarios of embryonic arrest. The first scenario is where the embryo initially does not develop well, leading to the cessation of development in the very early stages of pregnancy. The second scenario occurs when the embryo initially develops well, but after a period, embryonic arrest happens. Therefore, embryonic arrest generally occurs during early pregnancy but can also occur later, around the middle of early pregnancy. It can happen at any time, but it is most commonly identified after 8 weeks. However, some cases involve the presence of an embryonic bud and heart tube, and embryonic arrest can still occur even at 10 or 11 weeks.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Is embryonic arrest related to diet?

Embryo arrest, also known as missed miscarriage, refers to the absence of a fetal heartbeat in the early stages of pregnancy due to various factors affecting the gestational sac. Typically, if no fetal heartbeat and embryo are detected during an ultrasound at about 8 to 9 weeks of pregnancy, it can be diagnosed as embryo arrest. Currently, there are many reasons for embryo arrest in clinical practice, but many pregnant women look for causes in their daily life, such as diet and exercise. However, these factors are largely unrelated to embryo arrest. While diet plays a very important role in human health, the growth and development of an embryo are mainly influenced by its own genetic material, endocrine, and coagulation factors, which are generally unrelated to diet. Therefore, when embryo arrest occurs, one should not look for reasons in diet or other daily life factors; instead, it is advisable to undergo targeted medical examinations to determine the specific cause.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Will the gestational sac shrink if the embryo stops developing?

Embryo arrest, also known as missed abortion, refers to a condition in the early stages of pregnancy where the gestational sac does not develop normally due to various factors. Generally, the gestational sac will not begin to shrink until the embryo has been arrested for a considerable period. In the initial stages of embryo arrest, since the duration is relatively short, the trophoblastic cells within the gestational sac can still secrete estrogens, progesterone, and chorionic gonadotropin. These hormones stimulate the possible continued growth of the gestational sac in the short term. However, as the duration of the embryo arrest extends, the proliferation of the trophoblastic cells decreases, leading to a decline in hormone levels in the body. This reduces the stimulation to the gestational sac, causing it to gradually shrink, decrease in size, and possibly leading to a natural miscarriage.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
48sec home-news-image

Why is there no bleeding or abdominal pain when an embryo stops developing?

After the occurrence of embryonic arrest, some pregnant women may not experience any uncomfortable symptoms, nor do they have vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain. Embryonic arrest is detected through ultrasound examination, by observing the shape of the gestational sac and whether there is an embryo and fetal heartbeat present. If there is still no fetal heartbeat after eight weeks of pregnancy, it is determined that fetal development has ceased, or if the size of the embryo does not grow progressively with the gestational weeks, it is also judged as embryonic arrest. At this time, timely treatment should be performed, and one can choose either surgical abortion or medical abortion, rather than waiting and observing.