What are the symptoms of threatened miscarriage?

Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
Updated on April 19, 2025
00:00
00:00

Threatened miscarriage primarily refers to the occurrence of a small amount of vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks of pregnancy, often dark red or blood-stained discharge, with no pregnancy tissue expelled. The amount of bleeding generally does not exceed that of a menstrual period and may be accompanied by intermittent pain in the lower abdomen or the sacral area. During a gynecological examination, the cervix is not dilated, the membranes are intact, and the size of the uterus corresponds to the gestational age. After rest or treatment, the symptoms may alleviate, allowing the pregnancy to continue. If vaginal bleeding increases and lower abdominal pain intensifies, and all or part of the pregnancy tissue is expelled through the vagina, a miscarriage that cannot be avoided is considered. In this case, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy promptly to avoid endangering the pregnant woman's life due to excessive bleeding.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
57sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of threatened miscarriage?

Threatened miscarriage primarily refers to the occurrence of a small amount of vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks of pregnancy, often dark red or blood-stained discharge, with no pregnancy tissue expelled. The amount of bleeding generally does not exceed that of a menstrual period and may be accompanied by intermittent pain in the lower abdomen or the sacral area. During a gynecological examination, the cervix is not dilated, the membranes are intact, and the size of the uterus corresponds to the gestational age. After rest or treatment, the symptoms may alleviate, allowing the pregnancy to continue. If vaginal bleeding increases and lower abdominal pain intensifies, and all or part of the pregnancy tissue is expelled through the vagina, a miscarriage that cannot be avoided is considered. In this case, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy promptly to avoid endangering the pregnant woman's life due to excessive bleeding.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
55sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of a threatened miscarriage?

When threatened miscarriage occurs, pregnant women often experience vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain. However, at this time, the fetal heartbeat and embryo are generally still in good condition, and timely treatment to preserve the pregnancy can be effective. But if the patient experiences a significant amount of bleeding and severe pain, accompanied by backache and a sense of heaviness, it may indicate a threatened miscarriage. It is advised to go to a hospital for an ultrasound examination and to have blood tests to check progesterone levels to determine if treatment to preserve the pregnancy is needed. If, after such treatment, vaginal bleeding stops and abdominal pain disappears, then the pregnancy can typically continue.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
48sec home-news-image

Can threatened miscarriage be treated with medical abortion?

Threatened miscarriage only indicates signs of a potential miscarriage and does not necessarily result in a spontaneous miscarriage. During a threatened miscarriage, medication can be used to preserve the embryo. If one does not wish to continue the pregnancy upon signs of a threatened miscarriage, intervention can be managed like a normal miscarriage. In early pregnancy, if one chooses to have an abortion, there are two methods available: medical abortion and surgical abortion, which are not significantly different from each other. For the majority of typical women, medical abortion is an option during a threatened miscarriage, though it is notably painful and can be prolonged. Patients must be clearly informed about the specific procedures and drawbacks. Surgical abortion, on the other hand, tends to be simpler and less painful.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
42sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of threatened miscarriage

Premature birth refers to the condition where delivery occurs after the pregnancy has reached 28 weeks but before completing 37 weeks. Premature infants have a very high mortality rate. If a woman experiences prolonged back pain and a hardening of the lower abdomen during this time, it is due to contractions of the uterus. There can also be vaginal discharge of fluids, indicating early breaking of waters. Increased vaginal discharge, sometimes with traces of blood, might also indicate imminent premature birth; medical check-ups and treatment should be sought immediately.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
58sec home-news-image

How long does it take to prevent a threatened miscarriage?

During threatened miscarriage, proactive treatment to preserve the pregnancy is required. However, the duration of such treatment varies from person to person and should be based on the specific circumstances of the patient. If the patient has a history of recurrent miscarriages, in the event of a threatened miscarriage, the pregnancy should be preserved for a longer period, at least until three months into the pregnancy when the fetal development has stabilized. However, if the patient experiences light vaginal bleeding without abdominal pain, and the condition is relatively mild, approximately a week of medication may be sufficient for improvement. It is recommended that one to two weeks after the bleeding stops, a visit to the hospital should be made to perform an abdominal ultrasound to check the embryo's growth.