Re: Blighted Ovum

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Thanks

At Tue, 28 Sep 1999, Kathy wrote: >
> Here are a few things I found. Hope this helps some. Most of these I found
>off a yahoo search. Kathy
>
> by David L Fay, MD
> Family Physician
> Christie Clinic Association
> Champaign, IL
>
>What is a blighted ovum and what causes it?
>
> A blighted ovum is a fertilized egg which implants in
>the uterus, begins
> to devlop a gestational sac (the gestational sac
>eventually forms the
> membranes), but never develops a fetus. The cause is
>not known.
> These are eventually re-absorbed by the body, usually
>with a small
> amount of vaginal bleeding, and generally require no
>further treatment. A
> blighted ovum does not increase the risk of future
>miscarriage.
>=================================================================
>Blighted ovum
> Answered by Peg Plumbo, CNM
>
> Q: I've had two blighted ova since June.
> What causes this and what can be done
> about it? Should I be concerned? I am
> getting very upset and depressed.
>
> A: The term blighted ovum has come to
> be synonymous with miscarriage, but
> generally it refers to the absence of fetal
> tissue detected in the pathology exam of any
>specimen following
> a miscarriage. Most of the time, the fetal
>tissue has already been
> passed or may have deteriorated.
>
> Chromosomal abnormalities are responsible for
>about half of the
> miscarriages that occur before 12 weeks. Fetal
>death almost
> always precedes miscarriage, and the death may
>be related to
> many different things: abnormal development,
>uterine or hormonal
> problems, infection, thyroid problems,
>diabetes, progesterone
> deficiency and environmental factors. The list
>just goes on and on.
> Usually, we just don't know why women
>miscarry.
>
> Some providers do not feel it is cost
>effective to do a work-up
> until a woman has miscarried twice or even
>three times. This is
> due to studies which show that most women will
>retain the third
> pregnancy (or fourth) just as successfully
>whether an investigation
> is made or not.
>
> I feel that other factors must be considered,
>however, and age is
> one of them. Fifty to 60 percent of all early
>spontaneous abortions
> are associated with a chromosomal abnormality,
>but without an
> obvious, strong family history, as genetic
>testing is not usually
> done after one or two miscarriages. However, a
>study for
> antiphospholipid antibodies, including the
>lupus anticoagulant
> and anticardiolipin antibodies, could be done
>now.
>
> Rarely, a lack of progesterone from the corpus
>luteum (where the
> egg ruptures) can cause miscarriage. Measuring
>progesterone
> and doing an endometrial biopsy following
>ovulation can
> sometimes diagnose this problem.
>
> From a nutritional and environmental
>perspective, unless
> deprivation or exposure is extreme, these are
>rarely causes of
> recurrent miscarriage. Coffee consumption in
>excess of four cups
> per day has been associated with miscarriage
>in some studies
> and, of course, smoking and alcohol
>consumption have been
> implicated as well. I would just eat a well
>balanced diet.
>
> The following are some books available on the
>subject:
>
> "How To Prevent Miscarriage And Other Crises
>Of Pregnancy"
> Stefan Semchyshyn and Carol Colman; foreword
>by Frederick P.
> Zuspan.
> New York: Macmillan, 1989
>
> "Miscarriage: a Shattered Dream"
> By Sherokee Ilse and Linda Hammer Burns
> Wintergreen Press, 1985
>
> "Preventing Miscarriage: The Good News"
> Jonathan Scher, Carol Dix.
> New York: Harper & Row, 1990
>
> I am sorry that this has happened and I hope
>you are getting lots
> of support.
>
> Ask the Expert | Send to a Friend |
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>
> Please Note: This iVillage/ParentsPlace.com
>service area is designed for
> educational purposes only. You should not
>rely on this information as a
> substitute for personal medical attention,
>diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If
> you are concerned about your health or that
>of a child's, please consult your
> family's health care provider immediately and
>do not wait for a response from
> our professionals. iVillage, Inc. Legal
>Disclaimer.
>=================================================================
>Blighted Ovum
> Expert: Nancy Kraus, C.N.M. [See Biography]
>
> Question: What is a blighted ovum? I recently lost a
>baby because of it--does
> this mean I'll miscarry again next time I'm pregnant?
>When can I try to conceive
> again?
>
> Nancy: A blighted ovum is the cause of about 50 percent
>of first-trimester
> miscarriages. An egg is fertilized and attaches itself to
>the uterine wall, but the
> embryo doesn't develop further. Cells develop to form the
>pregnancy sac, but not
> the embryo itself. There may be no bleeding to signal a
>problem; later, though,
> the woman may notice a brown discharge. She may not
>realize she has a
> blighted ovum until her healthcare provider fails to
>detect a heartbeat or an
> ultrasound reveals an empty gestational sac. A blighted
>ovum can be the result of
> chromosomal problems. In some cases, the egg or the sperm
>may be of poor
> quality. While in the past many women miscarried blighted
>ovum pregnancies
> without knowing what had happened, today, technologies
>such as ultrasound can
> examine exactly what is going on inside the womb so the
>diagnosis is becoming
> more common.
>
> Although repeated miscarriages are emotionally traumatic,
>fertility experts don't
> consider a woman to have a problem with miscarriage until
>she has had three or
> more consecutive losses. If this happens, your healthcare
>provider may order
> blood tests and genetic tests to find out what is causing
>the problem.
>
> After a first-trimester miscarriage, a woman will usually
>ovulate in a few weeks;
> you should get your period soon after that. Midwives and
>doctors recommend
> waiting at least one additional menstrual cycle before
>trying to conceive again.
>http://www.BabyCenter.com/
>
>You may reply to me at:
><kat52gre@excite.com>
>

--
Belinda

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