Can an ultrasound not see a pregnancy photo? The test is positive and shows two stripes, but the ultrasound does not show pregnancy: why can this happen in the early stages? Can pregnancy not be visible on ultrasound?

Can an ultrasound fail to detect pregnancy? Yes, there are a lot of factors that influence this. This includes the human factor, incorrectly set deadlines, low-quality devices, etc. Read on to find out what specifically affects the performance of ultrasound diagnostics.

Can an ultrasound not show pregnancy in the early stages?

Ultrasound diagnostics may not show the presence of a fertilized egg in the early stages. There are several reasons for this, which we will discuss further.

Why is pregnancy not visible on ultrasound?

An ultrasound does not show pregnancy in several cases:

  1. If the period is still very short. If a woman contacts an ultrasound specialist before the 20th day, then nothing will be visualized, no matter how carefully and no matter how the woman is examined. At least three weeks must pass from the date of conception. Get reliable results at this stage it is only possible using the transvaginal method. In this case, the sensor will be inserted into the vagina and the organ will be examined as closely as possible. If there is no such device, or for some reason you do not want to do such an ultrasound, then go for a transabdominal ultrasound no earlier than the 5th week.
  2. If the uterus has a peculiar shape, bends. In such cases, the doctor does not recommend going to the study earlier than the 7th week. The specialist won't see anything. This is difficult to do because individual characteristics women.
  3. With an ectopic pregnancy. The absence of a fertilized egg in the uterine area may indicate that the fertilized egg is not attached in the right place - in the area of ​​the fallopian tube. This condition is extremely dangerous. It needs to be detected early and surgical intervention performed. Only timely treatment will save a woman from infertility.
  4. If a woman has uterine fibroids. This disease also stops menstruation and there are many symptoms similar to those present during pregnancy.

There are other factors that influence the results of ultrasound examination. This:

  1. Lack of experience, skills and qualifications of the doctor. Beginners tend to make mistakes. If you want to prevent such embarrassment, go only to a doctor who has been working as an ultrasound specialist for many years.
  2. Human factor. Here the blame also falls on the specialist. He may not see or notice the fertilized egg due to poor health, personal experiences, etc.
  3. Hardware malfunction. If the office still has old equipment that often breaks down, then the doctor may not be able to see the pregnancy precisely because of poor-quality images. This is due to the lack of modern equipment in the office. This often happens in public hospitals in small towns.

You can eliminate all of the above points, the main thing is to approach the procedure responsibly, choose a good clinic and doctor.

Other diagnostic methods

If the results of an ultrasound examination are doubtful, then it makes sense to undergo additional examination. To make sure you are pregnant:

  1. Donate blood at hCG level. Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is produced in large quantities during pregnancy. It is determined by blood serum. They donate it from a vein. The analysis may also be positive in some pathologies.
  2. Gynecological examination. Upon examination, the gynecologist will see: cyanosis of the mucous membranes of the cervix and vagina, changes in the shape, size and structure of the organ. The mammary glands will also change. The woman herself will notice this. They will become larger, painful, and tense.
  3. Pregnancy test strip. It's easy to make at home. To do this, you need to buy it at the pharmacy, lower it into your morning urine until the mark for 10 seconds. Then put it on a flat place and evaluate the result no later than 5 minutes. If a woman is pregnant, 2 stripes will appear. If not - 1.

If you go through all types of examinations, the result will be a true picture.

Conclusion

Ultrasound diagnostics may not show the presence of pregnancy if a woman comes too early for the test. Also, those who have physiological bends of the uterus will have false information. Sometimes the incompetence of the doctor and old equipment also cause unreliable results. For everything to go well, you need to follow the recommendations of an experienced doctor.

“Why doesn’t an ultrasound show pregnancy?” – parents often worry if blood and urine tests have previously confirmed the fact of conception. This can be caused by many reasons. When the pregnancy test is positive, but the ultrasound does not show pregnancy, most likely, the time of conception was determined incorrectly, and the parents made the diagnosis too early. But it also happens that blood and urine tests show pregnancy when in reality there is none. This is a very serious signal and may indicate the development of a malignant tumor, which produces substances characteristic of a fertilized egg.

The first test that helps determine the presence of pregnancy is a blood and urine test for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Reagents aimed at detecting this substance are applied to test strips that women use to find out whether conception has occurred. The test data is confirmed by a blood test to determine the same hormone. Why this is so is explained as follows.

When the egg is fertilized, the developing embryo begins to move towards the uterus and attaches to its lining 4-12 days after ovulation. This is called egg implantation. After this, trophoblasts (cells of the outer layer of the embryo) begin to produce hCG. The production of this hormone in the first 8-10 weeks of pregnancy increases at a very high rate, doubling every 2 days. But before it can be detected in the blood or urine, several days must pass after the implantation of the embryo. Therefore, the definition of pregnancy primarily depends on how quickly implantation occurs.

The concentration of hCG in urine is almost always lower than in the blood, and also largely depends on the amount of fluid consumed. If a pregnant woman drinks a lot of water, the concentration of the hormone in the urine will be greatly diluted. This is one of the reasons why it is better to take a morning portion of urine for analysis: at this time, urine has the highest concentration, since people do not drink during sleep.

Unlike urine, the fluid content in the blood is more strictly regulated and remains virtually unchanged, even if a woman drinks a lot. Therefore, a blood test can detect pregnancy much earlier than a urine test.

How accurate are blood and urine tests?

Another point that must be taken into account during a pregnancy test is which method is used to determine hCG, qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative tests are those that can be purchased over the counter at a pharmacy to determine hCG in urine. The sensitivity of these tests usually prevents them from detecting levels below 20-50 IU/L. In addition, the reliability of the test largely depends on its manufacturer. It happens that you can purchase a pregnancy test with a sensitivity that is significantly superior to the tests used in clinics.

Quantitative hCG tests are performed on blood samples in laboratories. These tests have high sensitivity and can show the amount of hCG from 0.1 to 2 IU/L, depending on the equipment used. Therefore, quantitative methods make it possible to determine pregnancy several days earlier than qualitative ones.

During testing, tests done a week after the delay are considered to be correct results. However, given the increase in hCG, correct data can be obtained as early as three days before the expected day of menstruation. Since pregnancy occurs during ovulation, that is, in the middle of the menstrual cycle, the period between conception and delay is 14 days with a 28-day cycle. By this time, the fertilized egg has time to reach the uterus and strengthen in it. However, on the eleventh day after fertilization (i.e. 3 days before menstruation), hCG is not always detected, which depends on the individual characteristics of the body.

Pathological causes of hCG growth

Despite the above, a positive hCG test does not always mean that the egg has been fertilized. A situation where the test is positive on ultrasound and nothing is visible is also possible for pathological reasons.

For example, it could be a biochemical pregnancy. This is the name for a condition when a pregnant woman loses her fetus even before her expected period. If an hCG test is done after the loss of the fetus, but before this hormone is excreted from the body during metabolism, the test may show a positive result.

Biochemical pregnancy does not happen as rarely as one might think at first glance. A woman in such a situation often confuses a miscarriage with her next period, which is simply accompanied by more painful symptoms.

Another reason for elevated hCG is the pituitary gland, an endocrine gland in the brain that controls the production of almost all hormones in the body. Including, it can produce hCG. It is worth noting that some hormones produced by the pituitary gland (thyroid, ovarian and luteinizing hormone) are structurally very similar to hCG.

The presence of hCG in the body due to the synthesis of this hormone by the pituitary gland is more often detected in women over 55 years of age, but can sometimes be detected in women over 41 years of age. However, its amount in the body is small, so the important point is that the concentration of hCG produced by the pituitary gland does not increase to the same extent as it does during pregnancy.

Some malignant tumors can also synthesize hCG in large quantities. Most often these are cancer cells that develop in the reproductive system, for example, chariocarcinoma. In such cases, there is no pregnancy, but the test is positive. Therefore, ultrasound is not wrong.

Some people develop antibodies in their blood that can be mistaken for hCG, and therefore after the test, women think that they are pregnant, but in reality there is no pregnancy. Only blood tests are susceptible to these errors, since these antibodies do not pass into the urine. This phenomenon can be a serious problem as it can lead to misdiagnosis as doctors may make mistakes based on faulty data.

It happens that women are misdiagnosed with cancer due to a false-positive hCG test. It is even worse when, on the basis of a false analysis, surgery, chemotherapy or other invasive treatments are performed that are absolutely unnecessary. The reason for this phenomenon is often impossible to determine. You can avoid errors by conducting analysis in several reputable laboratories.

Based on the above, it becomes clear why, based on the results of a positive hCG analysis alone, it is impossible to determine whether a woman is pregnant or not.

Therefore, if the hCG test shows pregnancy, you will need to undergo other tests. One such test is an ultrasound examination. And if it happens that the test shows pregnancy, but the ultrasound does not, the question arises: “Can an ultrasound not show pregnancy?”

What is ultrasound

It is advisable that the ultrasound be performed by a qualified professional who could detect a deviation in the child’s development in a timely manner. If it so happens that the test showed pregnancy, but the fetal egg was not seen on the ultrasound, such a doctor must understand how to proceed further.

During the examination, the radiologist applies a small amount of a special gel to the pregnant woman's abdominal area and moves the transmitter from side to side, capturing the best images of the fetus. When preparing for an ultrasound early in pregnancy, you should drink several glasses of water before the procedure. A full bladder helps to capture better images of the fetus.

When ultrasound waves pass through the uterus of a pregnant woman, if there is a fetus, they detect it and are reflected from the embryo and the woman's tissues, like an echo. These echoes are turned into an image on a screen that shows the position of the fetus in the uterus and its movements.

Hard tissue, such as bone, produces stronger echoes that appear on the ultrasound screen white. When an ultrasound detects a fertilized sac, more soft fabrics acquire shades of gray. Amniotic and other fluids are black on the screen because ultrasound passes through them with almost no reflection. When interpreting the images obtained during the examination, the doctor deciphers these images, visible as transitions of halftones of white and black.

If the baby is deep in the pelvic area or the pregnant woman is overweight, the woman is offered a transvaginal ultrasound. This test is performed by inserting a lubricated probe into the vagina and performing an internal ultrasound. The method is used when the fetus is too small to be seen with conventional ultrasound. A transvaginal ultrasound can detect the embryo or gestational sac up to a week earlier than a regular scan.

Why do ultrasound

The first ultrasound, in which the fetus is viewed and visible, can be a very exciting event for a pregnant woman. The radiologist performing this procedure can even print out and give the pregnant woman a photo of the embryo as a souvenir for a certain amount. However, a woman must understand that the purpose of this procedure is not to take photographs, but to determine the following parameters:

  • Confirmation of live or frozen pregnancy.
  • Check the baby's heartbeat.
  • Tell how many embryos the pregnant woman has.
  • Define ectopic pregnancy.
  • Find the cause of bleeding in a pregnant woman.
  • Find the exact date of pregnancy by measuring the fetus.
  • To assess the child's risk of developing Down syndrome by measuring fluid in the child's neck at 11 weeks of pregnancy.
  • Clarify the reasons for blood test deviations from the norm.
  • Show the position of the baby in the uterus to identify abnormalities.
  • Check if they are functioning normally internal organs fetus
  • Diagnose various developmental anomalies.
  • Estimate quantity amniotic fluid in a pregnant woman and find the location of the placenta.
  • Measure the baby's growth rate over several scans.

During the first trimester, an ultrasound allows you to see the baby's heartbeat, as well as examine the basic characteristics of the structure of the head, abdominal wall and limbs. The sex of a child can be determined no earlier than 14 weeks, and then only with very good equipment. This can be understood more accurately at week 18.

Determination of the gestational sac on ultrasound

The gestational sac or yolk sac is visible on ultrasound earlier than the embryo: it is visible already in the fifth week after fertilization. And it is its presence that confirms or refutes the diagnosis. The yolk sac is an extraembryonic organ that is formed at the beginning of pregnancy, is a source of nutrients for the fetus, and is actively involved in respiration processes. Here red blood cells and capillaries are formed, from which the baby’s circulatory system will subsequently develop. Also, germ cells form on the walls of the yolk sac, which subsequently determine the sex of the child. The bag also plays the role of the liver, trapping dangerous toxins.

Thus, the life of the fetus largely depends on the gestational sac. But when three months later the placenta and embryo are formed, there is no need for it. Therefore, its tissues disintegrate and at the end of pregnancy it turns into a small cyst in the navel area.

The answer to why the gestational sac is not visible on an ultrasound in case of pregnancy may mean late ovulation in the pregnant woman, which is why the time of conception is set incorrectly. Therefore, the answer to the question whether ultrasound can be wrong is positive in this case. Therefore, if the hCG level is no more than 1100, ultrasound is re-prescribed after a few days.

If the hCG level is over 1100 but the gestational sac is not visible, this may be a sign of an ectopic or ectopic pregnancy. Unfortunately, in such cases, the fetus almost always dies, and in order to save the woman’s life, an abortion must be performed, otherwise the embryo will rupture the fallopian tubes as it grows (it is to them that it is most often attached during an ectopic pregnancy). Therefore, if an ultrasound does not show pregnancy, but the test is positive, it is imperative to check whether an ectopic pregnancy is developing.

The fruit is not visible, what next?

The embryo may not be visible on ultrasound until the sixth week of pregnancy. To see it, you need to wait this time. But you should know that if the gestational age was determined incorrectly (the doctor decided that the pregnancy occurred earlier), the fetus may not be detected. In this case, the answer to the question of whether an ultrasound scan can fail to detect pregnancy is positive. You should also know that the first signs of the initial development of the embryo, based on how the fertilized egg looks, become noticeable on an ultrasound no earlier than the eighth week of pregnancy.

If the fetus or gestational sac is not visible on ultrasound, you can try to do the analysis in another laboratory equipped with more powerful and modern ultrasound equipment, since ultrasound errors during pregnancy are possible in the early stages. Another option is to come back for another test in a few days. If there is a pregnancy, the fetus will by this time be fixed in the uterus and begin to grow.

If pregnancy is not to blame for the increase in hCG, additional examination is necessary. There is a high probability that a tumor or other pathology is developing in the body.

The moment when a woman assumes she is pregnant is very exciting. And everyone has their own reasons for this. But whatever they are, I want to know as quickly as possible about the result, whether it is positive or not. Nowadays, you can resort to many ways to determine pregnancy, these are all kinds of tests, hCG analysis and even traditional methods. But probably the most common of them is diagnosis using ultrasound.

Ultrasound examination (ultrasound)

One of the common methods that doctors use to determine pregnancy (starting from 3-4 weeks), as well as pathologies and female diseases.

There are the following types of ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs:

  • Transrectal - done through the rectum. This procedure is performed on girls who are not sexually active.
  • Transvaginal - performed through the vagina in early pregnancy. Provides the most accurate result.
  • Transabdominal - carried out through the anterior abdominal wall (lower abdomen).
  • Combined - a combination of vaginal and transabdominal ultrasound methods. Prescribed for a complete diagnosis.
  • 3D and 4D ultrasound - with the help of these two types of studies you can get a realistic image of the child. And 4D will also allow you to watch his movements and even facial expressions in real time. Indicated to clarify the condition of the fetus.

Purposes of ultrasound during pregnancy

The most informative way to determine the condition of the future baby, at almost all stages of development, is ultrasonography. In addition to monitoring the development of the fetus, using this method you can also understand the condition of the placenta, amniotic fluid, the inside of the uterus, detect deviations in a timely manner and eliminate them.

Timing of an ultrasound scan during pregnancy

Three so-called screenings are mandatory - from 10 to 14 weeks in the first trimester, the second trimester from 20 to 24, and in the third trimester from 32 to 34 weeks. If possible violations are suspected, additional ultrasound examinations are prescribed.

When is an unscheduled ultrasound needed?

Failures can occur throughout the entire pregnancy. Therefore, unscheduled ultrasound is prescribed as problems arise or suspected failures. It is necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis. If confirmed, intervene in a timely manner and correct the problem.

Dates at which you can find out about pregnancy using ultrasound

A transvaginal ultrasound will help you confirm the “interesting position” in the early stages. To do this, a special sensor is inserted into the vagina, onto which a condom is placed. Transvaginal ultrasound can detect the fertilized egg as early as the third week of pregnancy. During this period, the hCG level should be above 1800 units.
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is one of the main indicators of the presence of pregnancy and its successful course.

If, with such indicators, no fertilized egg is detected in the uterine cavity, in most cases this indicates ectopic pregnancy. But the presence of a fertilized egg does not confirm fertilization (it may be empty). The pregnancy must be indicated by the embryo located in the fertilized egg. If in the third week of pregnancy you can only see the fertilized egg, then already in the fifth week obstetric week The embryo's heart begins to beat; it is during this period that pregnancy can be accurately determined. When there are no compelling reasons to perform an ultrasound in the early stages, it is recommended to perform the first study at 2 weeks of delay.

Is it necessary to perform an ultrasound examination in early pregnancy?

As we have already said, ultrasound in the first weeks of pregnancy is not very informative. Therefore, without medical indicators (suspicion of ectopic pregnancy, bleeding, pain, problems with pregnancy, threat of miscarriage, etc.) it is not recommended.
The uterus should be at rest at the time of attachment of the fertilized egg. Therefore, in the early stages, you should not bother her with unnecessary interventions, in order to avoid disruption of the implantation process, and ultimately termination of pregnancy.

Are there any mistakes when determining pregnancy by ultrasound?

Most often, an ultrasound examination may not notice that conception has occurred. It turns out this is because it is too early. You should know that you can see the fertilized egg in the uterus at about the 5th week of pregnancy, that is, at the 7th week of the obstetric period, not earlier.

Very common mistake- incorrect gestational age. It is believed that an ultrasound can determine the most accurate period that has passed from the moment of conception. And this is true if the study is carried out no later and no earlier than 10, maximum 11 weeks of gestation. Later, the baby’s development does not occur evenly, so it becomes more difficult to determine the gestational age based on the size of the embryo.

The last most common mistake on ultrasound is incorrectly determining the sex of the baby. The optimal gestation period for this is considered to be 17-20 weeks. Later, the space in the abdomen decreases; the umbilical cord or limbs may be located between the baby’s legs and thereby make it difficult to see what the baby’s actual gender is.

In addition to the errors mentioned, it may also be that an ultrasound could not detect an ectopic pregnancy or embryo death, or a genetic abnormality may also be missed. No one is immune from this. Any suspicion of deviation must be rechecked several times.

What to do when an ultrasound does not detect pregnancy?

At a very early stage, when the fertilized egg is still halfway to the uterus, it is impossible to detect pregnancy using ultrasound. Then a blood test for hCG comes to the rescue. The level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood begins to rise gradually from the first day of conception.
Ultrasound examination, today, remains the most informative and safe when monitoring pregnancy. There is no need to be afraid of negative influence on the baby. The radiation is so insignificant that even frequent ultrasound examinations will not affect the baby’s health in any way.

Reasons why ultrasound does not show pregnancy

Ultra-precise technology, just like people, has the ability to make mistakes. And it is not always possible to diagnose 100% pregnancy. There are cases when even at the 8th or 11th week of pregnancy an ultrasound does not detect the fetus. The pregnancy itself proceeds without pathologies. Often, in such cases, the doctor gives a referral for an abortion, suspecting an ectopic pregnancy. What are the reasons for this?
  • Human factor - the doctor’s qualifications and experience;
  • Gestational age. The first structural part of the fetal egg - the yolk sac - can be examined when the fetal sac is 5-6 mm in size, this is about 5 weeks, there is simply no point in going for an ultrasound earlier;
  • Anatomical features of the structure of the uterus - an unusual shape, due to which the device does not see the fertilized egg (pregnancy is confirmed at a later stage)
Even if the specialist does not confirm the onset of pregnancy or diagnoses a probable ectopic or frozen pregnancy, there is no need to panic ahead of time. If you doubt the diagnosis, undergo additional examination and donate blood for hCG. Let us remind you once again that the error of both the device and the doctor has not been canceled. Don’t rush to make decisions without being 100% sure of the result!

It turns out that our life can present absolutely any surprise. That is why you need to believe in magic and hope for the best. Often, when it comes to diagnosing pregnancy, it is recommended not only to repeat the test, but also to perform an ultrasound examination, which reveals the presence of a fertilized egg and its place of attachment. But ultrasound cannot always accurately determine pregnancy.

And there are quite a lot of such cases! On the Internet you can find a lot of stories about how, at 8, 11, and sometimes 13 weeks of pregnancy, a specialist could not recognize the presence of a fetus in the uterine cavity. And this is when the child’s heart is already formed and functioning. Women talk about how easily they carried and revealed their children to the world. It is worth saying that many of them had to go through recommendations for abortion and removal of the fallopian tube, suspecting an ectopic pregnancy. As sad as it is to admit, it is precisely because of such mistakes that many children were not born.

Of course, many things happen; the fertilized egg may not reach the uterus or may die. But before you come to such a conclusion, you should check everything! Why can't ultrasound detect pregnancy? The latest equipment can facilitate the diagnosis of pregnancy and its subsequent management. The introduction of ultrasound machines has significantly simplified the work of gynecologists and the lives of their patients. But, under human control, technology can give erroneous results.

Modern ultrasound diagnostics is the most reliable method for determining pregnancy. But this does not mean that you can trust her 100%. The results of the study directly depend on how experienced and qualified the specialist is conducting the study. It often happens that the fetus is mistaken for uterine fibroids, or even nothing is found at all, even if the size of the fetus corresponds to more than 4, and sometimes more than 8 weeks. Erroneous results may also be due to old equipment.

IN in this case it is impossible to determine the presence of a fertilized egg in the early stages. In fact, the period at which ultrasound diagnostics are performed plays a huge role. Experts say that before 10 days of missed menstruation, going to an ultrasound is pointless. Too early a pregnancy may result in the test not confirming pregnancy. In addition, the fertilized egg may go undetected due to the special anatomical structure or shape of the woman's uterus. Here pregnancy is determined later.

What to do if the ultrasound did not detect pregnancy? Don't trust anyone! No matter how hard it is, don’t beat yourself up. Because miracles happen. You cannot be sure: is this a lack of pregnancy or a diagnostic error? Refuse to cleanse, even if the doctor insists on an intrauterine or frozen pregnancy. Remember, ultrasound diagnostics is not the only method for determining pregnancy and is far from the most accurate.

To be sure, it is worth conducting 1-2 more ultrasounds, with different diagnosticians. The most reliable is transvaginal ultrasound during pregnancy. The most accurate method is a blood test for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is the most accurate today. But even here you cannot be 100% sure. Laboratory assistants are people who, like us, sometimes make mistakes. Therefore, this analysis should be repeated twice.

Author of the publication: Alexey Kulagin 

When a long-awaited pregnancy occurs, the fertilized egg descends into the uterine cavity and attaches to its wall. Thus, the development of an embryo occurs, surrounded by a fertilized egg. The first month, from the date of fertilization, the embryo is so small that it is very difficult to visualize it. That is why the first ultrasound is done at 6-7 weeks, so that the embryo can be examined and pregnancy can be confirmed.

Why is the embryo not visible on ultrasound?

It happens that a woman who saw the long-awaited two lines on the test comes to the doctor and hears: “The fertilized egg is empty, the embryo is not visible on the ultrasound.” This phenomenon is called anembryonic pregnancy.

If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with anembryonia, this means that with an increase in the level of hCG in the blood, there is no embryo in the fertilized egg. It is difficult to say exactly what week specialists will be able to see the embryo on an ultrasound. This period ranges from 5 to 9 weeks, depending on certain factors:

  1. Features of the body of each specific woman.
  2. The correctness of calculating the period from the date of conception.
  3. What kind of pregnancy is it? With each subsequent pregnancy, the likelihood of detecting an embryo earlier increases significantly.

On average, it has been determined that visualization of the embryo is possible at 7 weeks from the date of conception, with an active and ongoing increase in the level of hCG in the blood. However, even if at this time specialists did not see the embryo in the fertilized egg, you need to panic only if the growth of the hCG level has stopped or has started to decline. This picture indicates that the pregnancy is frozen. However, it doesn’t hurt to make sure of this once again, so it’s worth double-checking everything with another doctor or doing a transvaginal ultrasound.

A woman should consult a doctor if, several weeks after the growth of hCG levels has stopped, the embryo is not visible in the fertilized egg, even when examined transvaginally, while the pregnancy is approaching nine weeks. Stopping the growth of the embryo and the beginning of its decomposition may be accompanied by the following accompanying symptoms:

  1. Unreasonable jump in body temperature.
  2. The appearance of nausea and vomiting.
  3. Constant weakness, muscle pain.
  4. Lower abdominal pain.
  5. The appearance of discharge with blood impurities or bleeding.

You should not delay your visit to the doctor and put off the curettage procedure. The decomposition of the embryo can threaten a woman with the appearance of serious problems with health.

At what age should an embryo be visible on ultrasound?

While waiting for the birth of a baby, a woman asks the question: at what time will the embryo be examined by ultrasound? During diagnosis at a period of 5-6 weeks, the fertilized egg is about seven millimeters in diameter. At this stage, in most cases, the doctor has already visualized the embryo. Around this time, you can also hear his heart beating.

If you have a regular menstrual cycle, an embryo should be visible at the end of the sixth week. If an embryo is not visible on ultrasound, it is recommended to undergo a repeat examination in a week to exclude all possible abnormalities.

There are also cases when the fertilized egg is located outside the uterus. During an ultrasound, the egg is not visible well enough or is not visible at all. In this case, the heartbeat is heard outside the walls of the uterus.

What to do if the fetus is not visible on ultrasound and what could this mean?

There are situations that during an ultrasound, the embryo is not visualized inside the fertilized egg, and sometimes the fertilized egg itself is not visualized. First of all, you need to try not to panic. There may be no pregnancy at all, or there was an error in calculating its duration, so it is still difficult to diagnose. If a frozen pregnancy is not definitely confirmed, there is no need to rush into cleaning. First, it is better to undergo an ultrasound again, in another clinic. It may be necessary to conduct one or more studies. The best option is when the level of hCG in the blood is monitored in parallel with the diagnosis. If pregnancy develops without deviations, then its level increases. This helps specialists exclude a possible frozen pregnancy.

If an ultrasound does not show an embryo in the fertilized egg, what does this mean?

Very often, a fertilized egg without an embryo is diagnosed in the uterine cavity in young and healthy girls. Why is the fetus not visible on an ultrasound, and is it possible to avoid a frozen pregnancy?

There are a huge number of reasons for this phenomenon. This can be caused by infections of various etiologies, exposure to toxic substances, etc. You can minimize the possibility that an embryo will not be visible on an ultrasound by planning your pregnancy in advance in order to accurately calculate the gestational age. Also, you need to undergo examinations and cure all existing infections before planning to conceive a baby. This is especially important for women who are planning a pregnancy over the age of 35. This category has a significantly higher risk of developing chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

The absence of an embryo in the fertilized egg often does not give the woman any symptoms during pregnancy. Can appear bleeding in the event that a miscarriage begins. Even a gynecologist during an examination will not be able to say for sure whether there is an embryo in the fertilized egg or whether it is empty. The diagnosis of anembryonia can only be made by a doctor who performed an ultrasound examination no earlier than 5-6 weeks. If the gestational age is counted from the first day of last menstrual period, then the doctor will be able to visualize the embryo using ultrasound at 1-2 weeks of delay.

It is extremely rare for a patient to be given an incorrect diagnosis after an ultrasound, so if there is no embryo in the fertilized egg, it is necessary to check the result a week later using other equipment if there are any doubts about the professionalism of the doctor or the quality of the ultrasound machine. An error cannot be ruled out for other reasons: a short period of pregnancy or late ovulation, excess weight of the woman, etc.

Why can't you see an embryo on an ultrasound?

If a pregnancy test shows two lines, but the embryo is not visualized on an ultrasound, the reason for this may be:

  1. Incorrect calculation of gestational age from the moment of conception. The embryo may not be visible because the woman conducts the examination too early.
  2. Ultrasound diagnostics were carried out on an old device or the specialist did not have the proper level of qualifications.
  3. The examination was done through the abdomen and not transvaginally.
  4. A pregnant woman had a miscarriage, but she did not pay attention to it (she confused it with the beginning of her period), while the level of hCG in the blood had not yet decreased to its previous value.

If an ultrasound does not show an embryo in the ovum, do not immediately panic. For a number of reasons, the diagnosis of anembryonia can be made incorrectly, so it is necessary to monitor the level of hCG in the blood and undergo diagnostics again.