Can someone please tell me what a blighted ovum is???

Question

I keep hearing it but i have no idea what it is. A thorough explanation please:)
xoxo

Answer 1

I believe it is where the egg implants but there is nothing inside..ends in a miscarriage.

A blighted ovum is a common type of miscarriage. It happens when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus but the resulting embryo either stops developing very early or doesn't form at all. Nowadays, the term "blighted ovum" is considered out of date. Instead, most medical professionals use the term "early pregnancy failure" to describe this situation.

With an early pregnancy failure, you'll get a positive result on a pregnancy test, because the placenta begins to develop anyway and starts to secrete human chorionic gonadtrophin (hCG), the hormone that these tests look for. Early on, you may also have some of the symptoms common in a normal pregnancy, such as fatigue, nausea, and sore breasts. Later, when the hormone levels begin to go down, these symptoms will subside and you're likely to have spotting or bleeding.

Answer 2

A blighted ovum is a common cause of early pregnancy loss. It occurs when a fertilized egg develops a placenta and membrane but no embryo. A blighted ovum usually occurs in the first few weeks of pregnancy — often before a woman even knows she's pregnant. An ultrasound will show an empty gestational sac. Blighted ovum is often due to chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized egg.

With a blighted ovum, you may miss a period and have a positive pregnancy test. This is because the placenta secretes human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a pregnancy hormone. You may also experience some symptoms of pregnancy, such as fatigue and breast tenderness. But later when the placenta stops growing and hormone levels decrease, your pregnancy symptoms will subside. At this point, you may have minor abdominal cramping and light spotting or bleeding.

A blighted ovum will eventually result in miscarriage, although this may not occur for several weeks. Retaining this tissue is not harmful, but waiting for a miscarriage can be distressing. So a doctor may offer medications that will begin the natural process of miscarriage. Another option is a procedure called D and C (dilation and curettage) to remove the placental tissues.

The vast majority of women who have had one miscarriage go on to have successful pregnancies. If you have consecutive miscarriages in the first trimester, your doctor may recommend testing to try to determine the cause.

For more information check out the Mayo Clinics website at www.mayoclinic.com

Answer 3

A blighted ovum is the most common form of miscarriage. It is where the egg is fertilized and implants, but fails to develop for whatever genetic problem.

These are usually detected by week 12 and can be seen on an ultrasound.

Answer 4

A blighted ovum (also known as “anembryonic pregnancy”) happens when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, but the embryo does not develop.

The above is from the website in the source section. There is more info at the site.