What Is Blighted Ovum? - Treatment And Cure

Are you an expectant mother? Even if you’re not pregnant, it’s important to understand a few terms related to pregnancy. You all must have heard of the term- miscarriage (we wish no lady has to experience it) but have you ever come across a term known as blighted ovum? 

A blighted ovum is a type of miscarriage which can happen in the early stages of pregnancy (say first trimester). It is commonly used as ‘anembryonic pregnancy’. Why? Because there is no developing baby i.e. embryo inside the womb. Strange, isn’t it? It might sound frightening to you that early pregnancy loss accounts to 12% approximately.¹ Let us quickly understand this term in detail.  

Blighted Ovum - Miscarriage Or Pregnancy?

Blighted Ovum or Anembryonic Pregnancy is a common type of miscarriage. In simple words, it is like an early pregnancy failure which occurs usually at 7 to 12 weeks of pregnancy. ^{2 3}

To comprehend this, let us first understand the process. During pregnancy, male sperm fertilizes with female ovum and turns into an embryo which then develops under the uterine cavity. After a duration of approximately nine months or so, this embryo develops into a baby, which a mother then delivers. 

Whereas, Blighted Ovum is a condition when the fertilized egg fails to develop into an embryo and leaves the uterine cavity with no baby. However, this type of miscarriage could happen because of weak sperm, inferior ovum, chromosomal abnormalities, genetic disorders, different genetic makeup in placenta, obesity and many other reasons. ^{2 3}

What Causes Blighted Ovum?

When the egg gets fertilised during conception, cells which form the pregnancy gestational sac and placenta start multiplying. But occasionally, these cells stop growing which are supposed to develop into a baby. This refers to  early embryonic death that could be possible due to the development of trophoblast (layer of a tissue which supplies the nourishment to the embryo). ³ Here are few reasons which causes this condition:

Possible Causes Of Blighted Ovum:

• Abnormal cell division - This term refers to the abnormal regulation of the cell cycle. It leads to an increase in the number of cells  because of which excess of cells gets accumulated causing different disorders.  ^{3 4}
• Chromosomal Abnormality - It refers to the disorder where there is numerical change in single or multiple chromosomes and it affects sex chromosome, autosome (any chromosome except sex chromosome) or maybe both. ⁵
• Poor quality of sperm or egg - Very common these days. Low quality female eggs or weak sperms cause fertility issues. Possible reasons could be exposure to unhealthy food habits, fatigue, stress, anxiety, lack of sleep and many more. ³  

How Is Blighted Ovum Diagnosed? 

There are no specific symptoms that are visible immediately within a few days or weeks. Sometimes, it’s picked up during a routine check-up using a transvaginal ultrasound. An embryo should be visible by this time. But with blighted ovum, the pregnancy sac will appear empty. Some women may also experience bleeding at the early stage of pregnancy. ⁴

As an expectant mother, you might not feel any signs or symptoms. Just like a normal pregnancy, the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) continue to increase while there is no embryo. Presence of placenta secretes this hormone after egg fertilisation. Even when a woman has blighted ovum, this hormone rises because the placenta grows even when the embryo is missing. ⁴

What Is The Treatment For Blighted Ovum?

There are two ways of treating blighted ovum miscarriage. 

• First, you can wait for the natural miscarriage to take place at its own pace. Don’t disturb the natural flow and let it happen. You may feel cramping, abdominal pain and in some cases, bleeding too. ⁴
• Second, you can opt for certain medications prescribed by your physician or doctor in order to speed up the process.

In some cases, when medicines don’t work, a process known as dilation & curettage (D&C) is opted. ⁴ This is a surgical procedure which involves the expansion of the lower part of the uterus which is the cervix. After dilation, with the help of a spoon shaped instrument called curette, the uterine lining (endometrium) is scraped so that abnormal tissues can be removed. This is done so that endometrium can heal properly after the removal of placental tissues. ^{6 7}

What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant Again?

However, miscarriages can be frightening and a woman with blighted ovum may come across many weird thoughts about her body and fertility. But pregnancies after a blighted ovum are normal. Though such miscarriages are common, yet a woman can conceive naturally, without any further complication. You can have a normal and healthy pregnancy in the future. ⁸

Wrapping Up

We understand pregnancy is a beautiful journey that every mother wishes to cherish. Also, losing a pregnancy is quite upsetting and confusing. At some point of time, if you experience blighted ovum, never lose hope. All you need is some time for your body to relax and regain strength. Conceiving naturally is possible and therefore, always ask for support, if needed. Good Luck!