What does a pregnancy test show with a frozen pregnancy: a negative result, positive or false positive. Frozen pregnancy, diagnosis Can the test not show after a frozen

Frozen pregnancy is a pathology, the causes of which are not yet fully understood. A frozen pregnancy in medicine is called a failed abortion. The probability of developing a problem does not depend on the age of the woman, her social status and the number of previous pregnancies. The causes of pathology are still not fully understood. According to statistics, a missed pregnancy occurs in every 176th woman who plans to become a mother.

What is pathology?

Non-developing pregnancy - intrauterine death of the fetus associated with irreversible processes occurring in its tissues. The pathology does not have pronounced signs, such as, for example, a miscarriage. For this reason, it is important to know about the first signs of pathology in order to promptly seek help from a doctor.

Important! In gynecology, there is often such a thing as an empty fetal egg. The condition occurs when an egg is fertilized and attaches to the endometrium. However, the cell itself does not contain an embryo.

Causes of non-developing pregnancy

The most common cause miscarriage - gene mutations. It is they who in 70% of cases are the cause of the death of the embryo for up to 8 weeks. Numerous factors can lead to genetic malfunctions in the body: chronic or hereditary diseases, drug use, alcohol consumption by future parents.

Important! During pregnancy, it is imperative to undergo screenings prescribed by a gynecologist and geneticist. This study will detect gene abnormalities in a child in the early stages.

The chance of a missed abortion increases if future mom cannot give up bad habits: smoking, poor diet, drinking alcohol. Medications that a pregnant woman takes without the consent of a doctor are capable of provoking various deviations in the fetus.

Therefore, in the first trimester, potent drugs are prescribed only in extreme cases, for example, in severe infectious diseases. After 10 weeks of pregnancy, a strong placenta is formed, which protects the fetus from external negative influences. In this case, taking medication for him will not be so dangerous.

Other causes of missed pregnancy include:

1. Rh-conflict of mother and fetus. The problem is especially relevant for women who have had multiple abortions. Gradually, antibodies to the embryo accumulate in the woman's body, which reduce the likelihood of a successful pregnancy.
2. Severe infectious and viral diseases. Expectant mothers are vulnerable to pathogenic flora, so they quickly become infected during epidemics. Some diseases (rubella, chickenpox, measles) can not only provoke the death of the embryo, but also cause physical and mental abnormalities in the child in the future. In such cases, the mother may agree to an abortion or decide on the birth and upbringing of a special baby.
3. Hormonal disruptions. The cause of miscarriage may be a lack of prolactin or an excess of testosterone. If, before conception, a woman had irregular menstruation, this must be reported to the gynecologist.

Risk factors for the development of missed pregnancy:

• old-bearing women over 35 years of age;
• numerous abortions in the past;
• the presence of defects in the structure of the uterus;
• ectopic pregnancies previously diagnosed.

In the presence of at least one risk factor, a woman is put under special control to a gynecologist. The risk group for abnormal pregnancy also includes women who refuse to be observed by specialists.

Important! Every pregnant woman must register with a gynecologist at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy.

The timing of a missed pregnancy

The problem occurs at any stage of pregnancy (even a few days before delivery). Examining the statistical data, doctors noted several periods that are most dangerous for the formation of the fetus:

• 3rd and 4th weeks from the moment of conception;
• 7-11th week;
• 16-18th week.

After the 20th week, cases of stopping the development of the child are few. In the vast majority, the problem occurs for up to 14 gestational weeks. The cause of the anomaly in the first trimester is genetic abnormalities and hormonal disruptions, in the second or third trimesters - infectious diseases.

Symptoms of pathology in the early stages

A woman may not immediately notice a frozen pregnancy, especially if she does not show clinical signs. However, the condition poses a threat to the woman's life, as the decaying fetus poisons the body and harms the reproductive system. However, with a careful study of her condition, a woman may note the following signs characteristic of an undeveloped pregnancy:

1. Abnormal discharge. The woman's body tries to get rid of the fetus on its own after its death. Within 48 hours, she may have a whitish discharge of the usual consistency. After that, bloody streaks appear in the mucus. Gradually, the bleeding becomes more and more profuse.
2. Change in the intensity of toxicosis. After the implantation of the fetal egg, many women feel the urge to vomit. They are associated with increased production of hCG. If the fetus dies, then the production of the hormone stops. A day later, a woman can feel relief from the condition. 4-6 days after the death of the fetus, signs of toxicosis disappear altogether. This symptom does not always indicate pathological processes in the body. The intensity of toxicosis may decrease as a result of the woman's physiological addiction to the fetus.
3. Deterioration of general well-being. An embryo that decomposes in a woman’s body for a long time provokes intoxication of the body. Initially, the condition resembles a cold and is accompanied by fatigue, loss of strength. Two weeks later, more vivid signs of pathology appear: dizziness, anxiety, abdominal cramps, temperature.
4. Abrupt changes basal body temperature. In pregnant women, the indicator is at a level exceeding 37 degrees. After the fetus dies, the mark on the thermometer drops to 36.7 degrees, and at the time of decomposition of the embryo rises to 37.5 degrees.

Symptoms of pathology in late pregnancy

From the second trimester, other manifestations join the listed symptoms of a missed pregnancy. A vivid clinical picture of the problem is due to the fact that the fetus is large.

The main manifestations of non-developing pregnancy in the second or third trimesters include:

• absence of fetal movements for more than 24 hours;
• drawing pains in the abdomen;
• leakage of water with an unpleasant putrefactive odor.

The lack of movement in the fetus can also signal an insufficient supply of oxygen to it. The situation occurs when the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck or torso of the child. If a woman consults a doctor in a timely manner, then the baby can be saved from suffocation.

One of the characteristic signs of late pregnancy fading is a change in breast size. If the ST appeared before the 25th week, then the breast returns to its previous size in a few days. At a later date, after the death of the fetus, colostrum may be secreted from the glands.

After the death of the fetus, not only the chest, but also the abdomen decreases in size. This is due to the fact that after the tragedy, the number of amniotic fluid. The listed signs will be observed in a woman one to two days after the death of the fetus. In late pregnancy, the body tries to get rid of the dead child already on the 4-5th day.

Diagnosis of missed pregnancy

Examination during a frozen pregnancy includes the following types of procedures:

• visual examination by a gynecologist;
• blood sampling for hCG;
• basal temperature measurement

The first two methods are considered the main ones in identifying signs of a missed pregnancy, the rest are auxiliary.

Important! If until the 7th week there are suspicions of a missed pregnancy, then the abortion is postponed until the second ultrasound. It may happen that the device did not detect the vital functions of the embryo or the doctor made a mistake when calculating the timing of conception.

• early term - incorrect location of the fetal egg or its damage;
• late term - the absence of a heartbeat in the fetus and the discrepancy between its size and the term.

Ultrasound data is not enough to make a definitive diagnosis - ST. Due to hormonal disruptions and psychological stress in women, a delay in fetal development can be up to four weeks. In this case, a second ultrasound is performed in two weeks. If the fetus has not increased in size, then this means that it is dead.

Treatment of pathology

A popular way to free the uterine cavity from dead fetus- medical abortion. In Russia, it is carried out for up to 9 weeks of pregnancy, in European countries - up to 12. Mifepristone and misoprostol are used for therapy. This method gives an effective result, but has a list of contraindications:

• blood clotting disorder;
• severe anemia;
• renal and liver failure;
• ectopic pregnancy.

If a missed pregnancy is diagnosed at the 13-22nd week, then they resort to artificial stimulation of labor through one of the methods:

1. Intramial. A 20% sodium chloride solution is injected into the fetal bladder using a thin needle.
2. Isolated. Insertion into the vagina of mifepristone or misoprostol with oral administration of one of the drugs.

If the above methods of removing the fetus did not bring results or have contraindications for carrying out, then doctors resort to imposing a load on the presenting section of the fetal bladder.

In the third trimester, the dead fetus is disposed of by artificial childbirth. Fulfill C-section in this case, it is prohibited, as infection of the blood may occur. The woman will have to give birth to a dead child without anesthesia on an emergency basis.

After the treatment, the woman will need to adhere to the following rules:

1. Take hormonal drugs for the speedy recovery of the endometrium.
2. Drink antibiotics to prevent infection of the endometrium. Macrolides or cephalosporins are prescribed.
3. Undergo physiotherapy procedures aimed at regenerating damaged uterine tissues.
4. Take drugs to strengthen the immune system.

Another way to remove the fetal egg is scraping. For up to 12 weeks, vacuum aspiration of the uterus is acceptable. Standard procedure curettage is carried out only in extreme cases, as it can lead to irreversible damage to the epithelium.

Indications for traditional scraping:

• ineffectiveness of drug therapy;
• cleansing the uterus from the remnants of the fetus after an incomplete miscarriage.

Curettage is prescribed for women after ultrasound, blood tests and electrocardiograms. A preliminary consultation with the doctor who will perform anesthesia is mandatory.

The course of the scraping procedure:

1. Anesthesia is administered intravenously to the woman, which begins to act within a few seconds.
2. The genitals are treated with antiseptic agents.
3. The doctor uses a mirror to fix the cervix with forceps and expands the cervical canal.
4. The cleaning procedure is performed with a curette equipped with a loop at the end. With the help of it, all the mucous membranes of the cervical canal and uterus are scraped out.
5. After curettage, drugs that stimulate contraction are injected into the uterine cavity. The treated area is disinfected with iodine solution.

After the end of the operation, all fixing gynecological instruments are removed. Cold is placed on the woman's stomach, which helps narrow the small vessels and tone the uterus. The menstrual cycle in a woman should be restored 6-7 weeks after curettage. The operation is allowed to be carried out until the second trimester (less often at later dates).

Consequences of a frozen pregnancy

Termination of pregnancy is stressful for the female body, regardless of the chosen method of treatment subsequently. It will be possible to fully recover after the operation only after 6 months. During this time, the woman will need to drink hormonal drugs.

Complications after a frozen pregnancy:

1. Psychological trauma associated with the fear of an unsuccessful course of the next pregnancies or the inability to conceive a child.
2. Infertility. To prevent the development of complications, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations and be regularly examined by a gynecologist. Symptoms for an urgent visit to the gynecologist - fever, severe vaginal bleeding.
3. Inflammatory diseases of the uterine cavity. A complication often develops after traditional curettage. During the operation, the mucous membranes of the genital organ are removed, which makes it more vulnerable to pathogenic flora.
4. Adhesion processes. Inflammation of the uterus leads to the fact that its individual sections stick together. Deformation of the organ cavity in the future becomes the cause of infertility.

Prevention of non-developing pregnancy

Each couple planning a child must first undergo a set of studies, which includes a blood test for infections, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, and genetic tests. It is recommended to abstain from conception if less than 6 months ago one of the partners had been ill with rubella, chickenpox or severe influenza.

Other measures aimed at preventing missed pregnancy include:

• implementation of preventive vaccinations;
• visiting a geneticist;
• normalization of hormonal levels;
• conducting healthy lifestyle life;
• abstinence from flights in the first months from the moment of conception.

With proper planning, the probability of a successful pregnancy is about 90%. This also applies to cases where a woman has suffered unsuccessful attempts to bear a child in the past. It is important not to ignore visits to multidisciplinary specialists who will draw up a competent treatment plan after a missed pregnancy.

Fetal fading is a rare occurrence if the expectant mother takes care of bearing a healthy baby. The small heart of the embryo stops beating for unknown reasons, a genetic or hereditary factor is possible, physiological pathologies during gestation. But on early term Will the test show a missed pregnancy? Some women claim that these pathologies are diagnosed at home - different levels of the “pregnancy hormone” are noticeable. How to identify one of the manifestations of spontaneous abortion at home?

What is important to know about missed pregnancy

• spontaneous miscarriage;
• spontaneous abortion;
• frozen pregnancy.

A fetus frozen in the uterus carries a danger to your life. A dead body begins a necrotic process, in other words, it is already beginning to decompose in the uterus. A miscarriage is a natural opportunity to "throw off the ballast" that is life-threatening. It is impossible to lead to serious complications by postponing a visit to the gynecologist.

It is difficult to name good reasons, but most of our women are “not friends” with a female doctor. Many prefer diagnosis and treatment with pharmaceutical products, and if the fetus is frozen, the test will show pregnancy. The level of hCG (or secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin) remains high for a while, so the tests are still “striping”.

Why does this happen if fertilization occurred without problems? Several factors influence the process of embryo development:

1. Physiological or natural causes;
2. Genetic (hereditary predisposition to miscarriages);
3. Mechanical (kick in the stomach, lifting weights or other impact);
4. Toxic ( bad habits, the presence in the blood of toxic substances and drugs that are harmful to the fetus);
5. Occult (negative impact on the intrauterine process by the power of thought or magical rituals).

Attention: The only way for tests to indicate a frozen fetus is to check hCG in dynamics. You will have to buy tests daily and mark the indicators. They will decrease if the embryo has lost its viability! To do this, use only those indicators that show the level of "pregnancy hormone".

Risk groups for missed pregnancy

Risk statistics often include women who had a series of abortions during the 1st pregnancy and subsequent conceptions. Problems occur in girls who have taken oral contraceptives for a long time. The body "out of habit" can reject the fetal egg. If the fetus is frozen, a weak test will not show early pregnancy.

Rejection often occurs due to a conflict of Rh factors. For example, if the mother is Rh positive and the father is Rh negative, or vice versa. In reality, young people are in no hurry to learn such “little things”, they do not know about important things.

It happens when the expectant mother cannot say for sure who the father of the unborn baby is, for example, if she is sexually promiscuous or meets several men at the same time, having sexual intercourse. Such frivolous ladies put themselves at risk, not thinking what the test shows during a frozen pregnancy - they do not use them.

Important to know: The 8th week of pregnancy is considered the key moment, this is the most dangerous period in the development of the fetus - the most important organs begin to form.

At an early stage, the risk is greatest, at this time a missed pregnancy occurs more often, what does a pregnancy test show? Says nothing or beeps weakly positive "striped" result. But it needs to be compared with previous testing.

For missed pregnancy, the main risk groups:

• Women who have had multiple abortions in succession;
• "old-timers" (after 30 years), juvenile matter and "primogeniture";
• survivors ectopic pregnancy and other pathologies;
• ladies with hormonal abnormalities, as well as with a high degree of obesity, diabetes and other severe forms of metabolic disorders in the body;
• girls of the "youthful type", with anomalies of the reproductive organs and with an undeveloped "children's" uterus.

1. up to 28 obstetric weeks- called a frozen or failed pregnancy, as well as a spontaneous (involuntary) miscarriage.
2. Over 28 weeks after conception - antenatal fetal death.

Important: If you are offered to go to gynecology for preservation, do not refuse!

What are the signs of a missed pregnancy?

It is difficult to understand at an early stage what is wrong with pregnancy, especially if it is the first. Let's see if a frozen pregnancy - what will the ultra sensitive test show? For example, hCG was 1650 units, after a few days the usual determinant “does not strip”, and the electronic one displays a figure almost half as much.

The fertilized egg travels through the reproductive organs, but it is so small that the expectant mother is not able to feel it. The end of the journey of the fertilized egg is the lining of the uterus, the embryo is implanted for further development. But can he fail to gain a foothold? In all likelihood, yes. Where does the egg go then? Most likely dies, then should erupt from the uterus with a little bleeding. This is possible after stress.

If you listen to the changes in your body, you can not help but notice deviations. When few days have passed, the test does not always show a frozen pregnancy. For example, when a spontaneous miscarriage occurred, and the uterus itself was cleansed. A woman perceives this as a delay, "and now, finally, menstruation!" But it was a pathological pregnancy that did not reach its logical conclusion.

And be sure to check the hormonal background, plus measurements of basal temperature, in order to identify deviations after the days of ovulation. In the doctor's office, it is worth condemning all your doubts, passing all the necessary tests and showing temperature marks. In the 1st trimester, it normally stays at the level of 37.1-37.3°C. If your test shows a decrease in hCG, then the pregnancy has stopped.

Also, if in the 1st trimester a decrease in basal temperature is recorded, progesterone (the hormone responsible for pregnancy) falls, the doctor will draw the appropriate conclusions and decide what to do next. After a series of “delays”, which can be perceived as irregular periods, it is difficult to wait for a full-fledged gestation. At home, if a frozen pregnancy, we know what the test will show - the level of hCG will fall.

There are other reasons for serious concern:

1. There are no sensations that accompanied pregnancy, plus sanious discharge or bleeding, toxicosis suddenly stops (early term).
2. Cramping cramps and pain in the lower abdomen, if a frozen pregnancy binds the lower back, a temperature jump, the test will show changes in the hormonal background.
3. With a hardware examination at the time of delivery, it is impossible to make a cardiogram of the fetus - a small heart has stopped beating.
4. Colostrum and milk are secreted from the breast, which should appear when the uterus is “empty” (after the fetus is removed).
5. The fetus stopped moving at a later date.

If the pregnancy froze, what does the test show?

If the first electronic test gave the affirmative “pregnon” (pregnancy), and after a while, after the sudden cessation of toxicosis, already “non pregnon” (no pregnancy) - urgently see a doctor!

Tip: If there are prerequisites for a miscarriage, ask the pharmacy for those sensitive test systems that show the level of hCG or its concentration in the urine. When fading, the level will drop daily, approaching zero.

Do not be afraid of these procedures, if you have a frozen pregnancy, you need to cleanse the body of a dead body. And the sooner the better. No matter how many women ask on the forums “whether the test will show with a frozen pregnancy”, with an unpleasant answer of the indicator, medical intervention cannot be avoided. Further treatment is recommended in order to stop the inflammation after scraping, and bring the hormonal background back to normal.

It is advisable to know the reason for the failed attempt at motherhood in order to draw the right conclusions - to heal and treat the next fertilization more carefully. If this happens, do not despair and stop trying, modern medicine helps even in the most hopeless cases, up to surrogate motherhood. A serious approach to childbearing guarantees the full bearing of a healthy baby. Take a break from worries and try again!

Frozen pregnancy for many girls is a real tragedy, especially if conception was desired. A similar situation can occur at any time, but if it is detected too late, then this is fraught with serious complications. How to prevent this, whether the test will show a missed pregnancy, whether it is possible to somehow determine this pathological condition at the earliest possible time - these are the main questions that girls in such a situation have. And we will definitely answer them.

This test is best done in the morning.

A frozen pregnancy is always a terrible diagnosis that doctors make when the development of the fetus stops against the background of any pathologies. Doctors call this condition a failed miscarriage, but if the fading happened after a 28-week period, then it is interpreted by gynecologists as antenatal fetal death. Experts still cannot unambiguously say why this happens. For some, genetic disorders act as a pathological factor, for others - stressful situations, for others - medication and other pathological causes.

Experts can determine the exact causes of a missed pregnancy in the early stages after the incident with the help of a thorough diagnosis, up to a histological laboratory study of the fetal material. Ultrasound diagnostics will help to determine the pathology in a timely manner, because other methods in this situation, as practice shows, are powerless.

Usually the fetus freezes before the 28-week period, although the first weeks of gestation proceed according to the usual scenario. After fertilization, the egg is successfully implanted into the endometrium, and the patient herself experiences all the sensations characteristic of the signs of a conception that has occurred, i.e., morning sickness, breast swelling, drowsiness, absence of menstruation, etc. The pregnancy test carried out indicates the presence of an interesting situation, as long as in the body of a pregnant woman all processes typical of her condition are normal. But suddenly there is a stop of fetal development, which for the patient may go unnoticed. Why does this happen?

Why does the fetus freeze

It would seem that fertilization occurred, the embryo settled safely in the uterus and began to develop. What must happen for a fetus to suddenly become unviable? In fact, there are many reasons for this, such as:

1. Endocrine pathologies and chromosomal abnormalities - the last reason for fading is the most common (70% of cases). If fading occurs during the first 2 months of gestation, then it is inevitably associated with chromosomal fetal abnormalities. Such anomalies appear in very short periods of time, and almost all of them are absolutely incompatible with life, which is why development stops;
2. Transferred in the first weeks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox, SARS, influenza or rubella;
3. Unhealthy addictions of the mother to smoking, using drugs or alcohol;
4. Imbalance in the content of hormonal substances produced by the gonads - with a progesterone deficiency, the fetus is unable to stay inside the uterine body and develop fully, androgenic excess also prevents the development of pregnancy;
5. Abnormalities in the development of the uterine body or gynecological inflammation;
6. The presence between the mother and the fetus of the Rhesus conflict and the mature age of the patient;
7. External factors such as employment in the workplace with toxicogenic substances, increased physical activity or frequent stress overload and psycho-emotional experiences.

Gynecologists identify several critical periods of gestation, during which the likelihood of fetal fading is as high as possible. These periods include 3-4, 8-11 and 16-18 weeks. If the pathology is confirmed, then the patient is prescribed curettage curettage, and in the later stages, artificial induction of labor processes is performed. These measures are inevitable, because in their absence, the patient will begin a deadly intoxication, up to sepsis.

If the dead fetus is not removed from the uterine body in time, the progression of inflammatory processes will begin. Then only emergency surgery can save the girl. In such a situation, it is very difficult to say whether the patient will be able to become a mother in the future or not, because in severe forms of purulent-inflammatory processes, she can simply have her uterus removed. Therefore, you need to be more attentive to your own feelings in order to notice deviations in a timely manner and eliminate the problem that has arisen without complications.

What are the signs of pathology?

No woman is immune from possible pathologies.

The danger of ST lies in the fact that such a condition can remain unnoticed for a woman for a long time, at first even express tests will show two distinct lines. Problems with the timely diagnosis of such pathological gestation can be easily avoided if the patient goes to gynecological examinations in a timely manner and takes the prescribed tests. It is the obstetrician-gynecologist who will be able to detect a discrepancy between the gestation period and the parameters of the uterine body, and ultrasound diagnostics will show the absence of a heartbeat in the fetus.

Usually frozen manifests itself the same way at any gestation period. The patient begins to be disturbed by bloody marks on the underwear, a pulling and aching painful discomfort appears in the lower abdomen, hyperthermic reactions occur with fever, chills and weakness. Indicates a stop of fetal development and a sudden cessation of toxicosis, an increase in the mammary glands. If a girl previously kept basal charts, then with ST she will find a noticeable drop in basal thermodynamic indicators.

Unfortunately, a pregnancy test cannot always show deviations in the gestation processes, because it is usually done immediately after a delay, when the embryo is still alive and fully developing, although sometimes an ectopic can still be suspected during express diagnostics.

Test and frozen

The test determines an interesting position on the gonadotropic hormone secreted by the chorion. The reagents, when in contact with the urine of a pregnant patient, react to the presence of hCG in it, which leads to the appearance of a second strip on the device. This hormone is also present in the bloodstream, and in higher concentrations, so a blood test can detect conception a week earlier than a pregnancy test can do. And yet, how can the use of test systems help in determining the ST, what will the test show with a missed pregnancy?

• If the fetus freezes at an early stage, then for some time the hCG continues to be produced by the chorionic membrane, therefore, in the first days after the development stops, the test shows 2 strips informing the patient about the presence of pregnancy.
• After a week, the concentration of gonadotropic chorionic hormone will begin to decline, then testing will give a negative result, or show a blurry and dull second strip.
• The longer the gestation period, the longer the increased concentration of hCG in the female body will remain. Sometimes a pregnancy test takes so long to show positive result that even after ultrasound confirmation of the frozen patient, the patient does not believe the terrible diagnosis.

If the patient does not agree to curettage, calling into question the reliability of the medical diagnosis, then the task of the gynecologist is to correctly and understandably explain why, during a missed pregnancy, the tests give positive or negative results.

If the girl has any doubts, then a second diagnosis can be made in a few days. A negative or ambiguous result, combined with a sudden disappearance of toxicosis, will only confirm the fading. But do not delay too much with treatment, otherwise it will not be possible to avoid the dangerous consequences of a frozen one.

Dangerous Consequences

Dreams will come true, don't despair

Events as a result of the cessation of fetal development can develop according to several scenarios. The most favorable outcome is considered a spontaneous miscarriage, when the uterus itself rejects the frozen fetus. But this happens infrequently, so in most cases, patients have to go for curettage curettage. If it is not carried out in a timely manner, then the tissues of the deceased fetus will begin to decompose, release toxic decay products, poisoning the mother's body from the inside, which leads to dangerous consequences.

One of these consequences, and the most common, is the infection of the patient. It occurs if a girl has delayed a visit to the doctor for a long time. An aseptic inflammatory process begins in the uterus, which further provokes the development of infection. The dead fetus appears in this case a dangerous focus that exudes toxins and bacterial microorganisms, which, when seeped into the bloodstream, cause infection and the occurrence of septic processes.

There is also a high risk of developing disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome (DIC), which is dangerous for intractable and profuse bleeding. Both DIC and septic blood poisoning are equally dangerous and fatal.

One of the rarest, but still possible complications is a lithopedion. This condition is associated with fetal fossilization, in which the deceased child is calcified by calcium salts. IN similar condition the fetus can be inside the uterus for quite a long time, up to several years, although the patient herself may not even know about it. In total, only about 300 cases of such complications are known, but nevertheless, the development of such events cannot be ruled out.

How are they treated

If the frozen state of the fetus was detected in a timely manner, then the gynecologist prescribes an interruption, which is carried out in several ways.

• pharmacological abortion. A similar technique consists in the appointment of high-dose hormonal drugs that trigger the contractile activity of the uterine muscle tissue. As a result, the uterus independently pushes out the dead fetus in the process of miscarriage.
• Cleansing or curettage curettage. This tactic of treating frozen is considered the most common and most unpleasant. During the procedure, carried out with the use of anesthesia or local anesthesia, the gynecologist cleans the uterine cavity, scraping the fetal tissues from its walls. Such an intervention can have unpleasant complications such as bleeding or infection. Therefore, after curettage, the patient remains in the hospital for some time under medical supervision. After a week (± several days), she is scheduled for a follow-up ultrasound examination of the uterus to check for the presence of remnants of fetal tissues.
• Mini abortion. It involves the extraction of the fetal egg by vacuum aspiration, in other words, by suction. The technique is safe and does not require a long rehabilitation, and the risks of complications are minimal.

The need for STD treatment usually occurs early, but if the fetus has stopped developing after 28 weeks, then artificial delivery is performed.

Can freezing be prevented?

If the causes are hidden in genetic characteristics, then it is impossible to prevent fetal fading; by identifying such deviations, one can only determine that the woman is at risk. Otherwise, the girl is quite capable of preventing such a tragic development of events. The most effective preventive measure, not only in relation to ST but also to any other pathologies, is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which implies a complete cessation of smoking, the use of narcotic drugs or alcohol. This also includes a healthy diet, including fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits.

Experts warn all girls who want to have healthy offspring - pregnancy should be planned. This is not a whim of doctors and not a desire to drive patients around the offices. Today, planning has become almost a necessity. As part of the planning, the girl makes the necessary vaccinations against dangerous infections (rubella, influenza, hepatitis, etc.), undergoes a course of treatment for extragenital acute or chronic infectious processes, and takes tests to check the state of the hormonal background.

In addition, even before conception, it is necessary to consult with a geneticist, it is especially important to do this for patients over 35 years old, as well as those who have had missed pregnancies in the past or suffer from hereditary pathologies. Approximately 3 months before the intended conception of the potential mother, it is recommended to start taking folic acid. It is also necessary to abandon artificial interruptions, which in subsequent pregnancies can provoke a halt in fetal development. Only serious approach able to guarantee the birth of a healthy child.

With a frozen pregnancy, the egg is fertilized, but at a certain stage, the development of the embryo stops. An empty fetal egg can exist in the uterus for some time, after which it is rejected. Pregnancy fading can happen both at very early and at rather late dates. If this occurs for a period of more than 28, this pathology is already characterized as fetal death.

There can be many reasons for a miscarriage. Most of them are associated with poor heredity, previous sexually transmitted diseases, with the use of drugs or alcoholic beverages. The risk of developing this pathology increases with the age of a woman.

It is quite difficult to diagnose. This can only be done by a specialist. For more accurate diagnosis The most commonly used method is ultrasound. At the same time, there are signs that give reason to suspect the cessation of embryo development.

An alarming signal is a sharp cessation of toxicosis, a decrease in basal temperature, and bloody discharge from the genital tract may also appear.

What does a pregnancy test show

During a normally developing pregnancy, a standard home test should show 2 strips. This is a sign that fertilization has occurred, the embryo develops and the body produces human chorionic gonadotropin. It is the increase in the concentration of hCG in the urine that underlies the principle of the test.

The concentration of the hormone in the urine increases every few days. The longer the gestation period, the more reliable the test result should be.

When the development of the embryo stops, the body stops producing a specific hormone, and its concentration in biological fluids begins to gradually decrease. The rate of decrease in concentration is individual for each case. It may depend on various reasons.

Immediately after the development of the embryo has stopped, the test will still show a positive result if the concentration of hCG in the urine was sufficient to determine pregnancy. If at the time of pregnancy fading, her term was very small, after 2-3 days the test will show a negative result.

If the development of the embryo stops at a later date, it takes time for the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin to drop so that the test shows a negative result. In medical practice, there are cases when express analysis gives a positive result for another month after the death of the embryo and its rejection.

Experts assure that a positive test value cannot serve as a guarantee that the pregnancy is developing normally. If you experience any alarming symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

Missed pregnancy is a fairly common pathology in which the embryo or fetus stops its development and dies. It can happen on different terms: both in the earliest and in the second trimester. Many women are interested in whether it is possible to determine a missed pregnancy through a test, and what a home test system will show if the fetus has stopped developing. We will talk about this in the framework of this article.

About pathology

Frozen or non-developing pregnancy is one of the forms of miscarriage. Unfortunately, it is not possible to save the fetus with such a diagnosis. The uterine cavity is cleaned in one of two ways: surgically or by inducing medical abortion. Most often, abnormal cessation of fetal growth and development occurs in women who are expecting their first child over the age of 30. Women over the age of 40 are most often affected by pathology.

It is believed that an unstable hormonal background, as well as previous abortions, childbirth, infections, can affect the development of a baby in older pregnant women.

Most often, according to the observations of obstetricians, pregnancy is interrupted at terms of 3-4 and 8-11 weeks. It is during this period of gestation that the most important anatomical structures are formed in the baby, the embryo is very sensitive to external and internal influences. Another dangerous period according to the probability of fetal fading - 16-18 weeks, and what it is connected with, experts still have not been able to establish.

Frozen pregnancy is dangerous for a woman. This is not only a deep emotional trauma, especially if the child was desired, long-awaited, but also a threat to physical well-being - sepsis can occur, a woman can die.

If the dead fetus stays in the uterus for more than a month and a half and is not rejected by the woman's body, a dangerous syndrome may occur, in which blood thins inside the vessels. And bleeding, which is inevitable when the dead fetus is rejected, is associated with a direct threat of the death of a woman.

Causes

The reasons for which the development of the baby stops are numerous and varied. Many have not been fully studied, and it is not always possible to establish the true causes of what happened.. Often the prerequisites are created by active female immunity, which regards the fetus as a foreign object and tries to reject it, which eventually happens.

In seven out of ten cases, the cause lies in some genetic, chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus. They interfere with the normal formation of organs, the fetus develops defects that are often incompatible not only with life after birth, but also with further life. intrauterine growth. It has been noticed that in most cases genetic abnormalities stop the development of the baby at 7-8 and 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, but this can happen even earlier.

The cause of a child's developmental delay may be hormonal disorder in a woman (with an increase in androgens, for example, such a threat is very likely). An infection can become fatal - both sexual and any other, including SARS and influenza. The virus itself cannot kill the child, but it causes fever, intoxication, which ultimately poses a mortal threat to life developing in the womb.

TORCH infections are especially dangerous: rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes infection. If the causative agents of these diseases do not kill the baby, destroying his central nervous system, then they cause severe developmental anomalies.

Pathologies of the forming placenta can lead to a missed pregnancy. Risk factors also include poor-quality nutrition of a pregnant woman, chronic stress, emotional stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, previous abortions, cases of stillborn babies.

Symptoms

The pathology has no special specific symptoms. If the development of the baby stops at an early stage, then a decrease in basal temperature, the disappearance of signs of pregnancy: toxicosis, tension of the mammary glands can indicate this. Usually, 2-3 weeks after the death of the baby or earlier, the body begins to reject the fetus, this is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, chills, the appearance blood secretions from the genital tract, pulling pain in the lower back and lower abdomen, turning into cramping pains.

How to identify?

To detect a frozen pregnancy, it is enough to conduct an ultrasound scan. This type of diagnosis quite objectively and accurately indicates the signs of a lack of development: there is no heartbeat, no motor activity of the fetus, its growth does not occur according to the gestational age by the date of the last menstruation. An important diagnostic method is a blood test for hCG - this hormone is produced by the chorionic villi of a living fetus immediately after implantation.

As already mentioned, chorionic gonadotropin, better known to women under the name hCG, is produced by the fetal membranes after implantation, increasing in the body about twice every 48 hours.

Before the death of the embryo or fetus (depending on how long the fading occurs), chorionic gonadotropin can be produced at a completely normal pace, without causing concern among specialists. However, since the death of the fetus, the development of a new hCG hormone stops.

For a while, hCG "gets stuck" at the same level, and then begins to gradually decline. At the same time, the level of progesterone also decreases, since the corpus luteum, which produces it, remains without the hormonal support of hCG.

The corpus luteum is formed after ovulation at the site of the ruptured follicle, and its viability immediately after implantation and up to 12-14 weeks of pregnancy is ensured precisely by a high level of hCG. Then the formed young placenta takes over the endocrine functions. When the minimum level of progesterone is reached, the level of estrogen rises and the physiological rejection of the endometrium begins along with the fetal egg from the uterus: bleeding begins, spontaneous abortion starts.

Evaluation of hCG dynamics by tests and blood tests

All pregnancy tests are based on the determination of an elevated concentration of hCG in the urine. As soon as the amount of the hormone begins to exceed the sensitivity threshold of the test system, the test shows two strips - a positive result.

Given the peculiarities of the "behavior" of hCG after the fetus stops developing and dying, it should be understood that the test will remain positive for a long time.

Even the highest quality electronic and digital tests determine only an increase in the level of hCG, without giving the slightest idea of ​​its exact quantitative content, the dynamics of growth or decline in levels. If the fetus dies at the earliest possible date, even before the delay in menstruation, then the test may remain negative (the hCG level did not have time to reach the sensitivity threshold) or weakly positive (the second strip is pale, fuzzy). It is noteworthy that in this case, and after a delay, the test will show a negative or weakly positive result. The latter will gradually become negative. Monthly will be absent.

If the fetus dies at a later date - after the woman has received a clear positive test, then the strips will remain positive not only until the onset of fetal rejection, but also for some time after cleaning or medical abortion, which doctors will use to remove a dead fetus from the uterine cavity.

HCG drops quite slowly.

Therefore, we can safely say that tests cannot in any way show the fact of a frozen pregnancy, which cannot be said about blood tests for hCG. If according to them (carried out in dynamics after 48 hours several times) there is no increase in the level of the hormone or there has been a decline, then the doctor will first of all assume an undeveloped pregnancy and prescribe an urgent ultrasound to confirm or refute his assumptions.

Some also wonder if there is an increase in hCG after fading of development and death of the fetus. In rare cases, this is possible, experts say, but only because the chorion is not directly affected by the factors that caused the death of the embryo.

In this case, the villi can theoretically produce a certain (small) amount of hCG for another 2-3 days, and then the inevitable decrease in the level of this substance begins.