Is a threatened miscarriage considered a miscarriage?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on February 01, 2025
00:00
00:00

Threatened miscarriage is not actually a miscarriage. If handled properly, it is possible to successfully preserve the pregnancy. However, if not treated in time, it could develop into an inevitable miscarriage. During a threatened miscarriage, the fetal heartbeat and embryonic tissue are generally normal, and there may be minor vaginal bleeding or slight lower abdominal pain. At this time, it is crucial to go to the hospital for an ultrasound and have blood tests for progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin. If the fetal heartbeat and embryo are normal, then treatment to preserve the pregnancy is needed. At this time, it is important to rest, reduce activity, and avoid any vigorous exercise.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
46sec home-news-image

What should be noted for threatened miscarriage?

After the occurrence of threatened miscarriage, it is crucial to rest, and if possible, bed rest is recommended to reduce activity. Additionally, local hygiene must be maintained, frequently changing underwear to keep the area dry and fresh, preventing bacterial infection. Intercourse should be strictly avoided during a threatened miscarriage. It is important to observe vaginal bleeding and discharge. If any tissue-like materials are expelled, they should be preserved and brought to the hospital for examination to determine the nature of the expelled material. Nutrition should be enhanced by consuming light, easily digestible foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
1min 30sec home-news-image

What to do about a threatened miscarriage?

Threatened miscarriage refers to the occurrence of a small amount of vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks of pregnancy, often dark red, with no pregnancy tissue expelled, and may include pain in the lower abdomen and back. During a gynecological examination, the cervix is closed and the membrane is unruptured, and the pregnancy can continue if the symptoms disappear after rest and treatment. In handling a threatened miscarriage, it is first necessary to analyze the causes of the miscarriage. Common causes include embryonic factors, mainly chromosomal abnormalities. If the miscarriage is caused by chromosomal abnormalities, it is mostly unavoidable. Maternal factors, such as systemic diseases in pregnant women, include increased blood pressure, severe anemia, high fever, etc. Pregnancy can mostly continue with treatment of the cause. Abnormalities in the reproductive organs, such as uterine malformations, submucous and intramural fibroids, adenomyosis, etc., can lead to miscarriage. With appropriate treatment to preserve the pregnancy, there is hope to continue the pregnancy. If due to endocrine abnormalities, such as luteal phase deficiency or hypothyroidism, supplementing with progesterone and thyroid hormones can mostly allow the pregnancy to continue. Identifying the cause of a miscarriage is extremely important, as different causes can lead to different pregnancy outcomes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yue Hua
Obstetrics and Gynecology
46sec home-news-image

How long should one rest in bed for a threatened miscarriage?

The duration of bed rest for threatened miscarriage varies from person to person. It depends on the patient's clinical symptoms. Generally, one should rest until there is no vaginal bleeding for a week before starting to get out of bed and move around. This is because the typical clinical symptom of threatened miscarriage is minor vaginal bleeding. During this time, in addition to bed rest, it is advisable to take some progestogen medication for miscarriage prevention treatment. After successful miscarriage prevention, most people will see the disappearance of clinical symptoms. Then, one week after the symptoms disappear, they may gradually start getting out of bed but should still avoid intense physical activities.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
49sec home-news-image

How long should one stay in bed for a threatened miscarriage?

Threatened miscarriage, as the name implies, is the appearance of signs of miscarriage, such as lower abdominal pain, bleeding, and a feeling of heaviness. For threatened miscarriage, it is appropriate to choose bed rest for treatment, but absolute bed rest is not necessary during threatened miscarriage. Prolonged bed rest is not always beneficial for the recovery of a woman’s health. Being bedridden for a long time can cause constipation, prevent vaginal bleeding from being expelled, and lead to mental stress. It is generally recommended to get out of bed for light activities during the day, aside from normal sleeping hours. Simple, light activities will not worsen the miscarriage. Generally, after a threatened miscarriage, it is advised to rest in bed for 3-5 days at most, and during this period, it is necessary to get out of bed intermittently.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
54sec home-news-image

Does a threatened miscarriage require a uterine curettage?

Threatened miscarriage, as the name suggests, refers to signs indicating a potential miscarriage. Whether a curettage is necessary in cases of threatened miscarriage mainly depends on the pregnancy outcome. For threatened miscarriage, treatment is chosen based on the patient's wishes. If the patient desires to continue the pregnancy and try to preserve it, medication can be used initially for conservation. However, if a woman experiencing threatened miscarriage does not wish to continue the pregnancy, she can opt for artificial intervention to induce the miscarriage. Miscarriage can be induced through oral medication or through a curettage procedure. Thus, curettage is not necessarily required for a threatened miscarriage, and even if the pregnancy is to be terminated, medication can be used as an alternative. Therefore, there is no inevitable connection between threatened miscarriage and curettage.