Fetal demise

Fetal freezing can occur in a woman at any age. This pathology means the death of the fetus and develops when several factors converge.

Before planning a pregnancy, every woman should know the possible risks, as well as be able to recognize the signs of any pathology and consult a doctor in a timely manner.

A frozen pregnancy is quite rare, among doctors this condition is called a failed miscarriage, since the death of the embryo occurs without obvious signs of termination of pregnancy. The fetus can die at any time, regardless of the woman's age, although most often the pathology develops among women in labor over 40 years old. In most cases, a frozen pregnancy occurs before 13 weeks, the causes of the pathology are a variety of factors: chronic diseases, infections, genetic disorders, etc. However, the fetus can die without obvious reasons, but in any case, a frozen fetus poses a threat to the woman's health, in particular, it can lead to infertility.

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Causes of fetal fading

Many factors provoke fetal freezing, and often a combination of several circumstances is observed. It is not always possible to establish the exact cause of such a pathology, since after the death of the fetus, tissue necrosis occurs, which greatly complicates the study.

The causes of fetal death include hormonal imbalances, chromosomal abnormalities, infections, etc. The most common cause of miscarriage is alcohol and cigarettes. Herpes, chlamydia, toxoplasmosis, etc. can also cause fetal death, so doctors recommend undergoing an examination and treating all existing diseases before planning a pregnancy.

The reasons why the fetus stops developing and dies have not been sufficiently studied, but experts identify several main factors:

• Hormonal imbalances can lead to progesterone deficiency, which is why the fetus does not receive the necessary nutrients, which will ultimately provoke the cessation of development and death of the fetus. Usually, this reason provokes a freezing in the first trimester. In addition, the cause of freezing can be thyroid disease, polycystic disease and other ovarian dysfunctions.
• an immunological factor that has been increasingly considered recently. The female body perceives the fertilized egg as a foreign body, since it contains about half of the genetic information of the future father, and therefore the body begins to produce antibodies that prevent the development of the fetus. In other words, the woman's immune system kills the embryo.
• autoimmune disorders associated with a large number of antibodies to blood plasma phospholipids - antiphospholipid syndrome. This pathology leads to fetal death in almost 5% of cases. The risks of fetal death in repeated pregnancies increase to 42%. The cause of antiphospholipid syndrome is mainly heredity, this pathology leads to the formation of blood clots and as pregnancy progresses, the risk of complications may increase, in addition, antiphospholipid syndrome can affect childbirth and the postpartum period.
• infectious diseases, both chronic and acute. The most common diseases that can lead to freezing are herpes, mycoplasmosis, chlamydia, etc., which may be present before pregnancy, but with a decrease in immunity, the disease begins to manifest itself more aggressively.

Cytomegalovirus can cause pregnancy to stop in the first trimester; if the infection occurs at a later stage, it can lead to serious developmental defects. Syphilis and gonorrhea also pose a danger to the health and life of the child.

• chromosomal abnormalities. During the development of the embryo, various developmental abnormalities may occur, such as zygote pathology, abnormal development of the placenta.
• stress, drug abuse, especially antidepressants.
• bad habits (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes)
• external influences (air travel, heavy objects, radiation, excessive sun exposure)
• reasons of unknown nature. The freezing of pregnancy has not yet been sufficiently studied and in some cases it is impossible to determine why the fetus stopped developing.

Why does fetal death occur?

It is quite difficult to identify the main reasons why a fetus freezes, since several factors can simultaneously lead to this pathology. For example, hormonal disruptions and chromosomal changes in the embryo or infections.

Also, drug use, alcohol consumption, smoking during pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases can cause intrauterine death of the fetus.

How to induce fetal freezing?

In some cases, the woman herself can provoke the fetus to freeze. Smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs, and drug abuse can lead to the embryo's development stopping. In addition, frequent nervous tension or stress, coffee, and a sedentary lifestyle disrupt the normal development of the fetus, leading to insufficient oxygen and nutrients for it.

Signs of fetal fading

Fetal freezing has several symptoms that a woman can identify on her own. Most often, freezing occurs in the first trimester, and this pathology is often detected during a routine examination or ultrasound. In this case, freezing can be detected several weeks later than the death of the embryo.

In the early stages, a sudden cessation of toxicosis, a decrease in basal temperature, and breast soreness may indicate the death of the embryo.

In some cases, these signs go unnoticed or are perceived as a natural manifestation of pregnancy.

At a later stage, it is possible to determine that the fetus has died by the fact that the child has stopped moving, and severe abdominal pain or bleeding may also indicate a pathology.

The first signs of fetal fading

It is quite difficult to determine the frozen pregnancy on your own in the early stages, since each pregnancy is individual. For example, some women do not have toxicosis or other signs of pregnancy (dizziness, weakness, craving for salty foods, etc.). In the first trimester, the death of the embryo may be indicated by a sudden cessation of signs of pregnancy (provided that there were any). If the woman initially felt well, then it is possible to detect the frozen pregnancy during a visit to the doctor or an ultrasound.

At later stages, pathology may be indicated by the fact that the child stops moving. In most cases, when the fetus dies, the woman begins a spontaneous miscarriage. But in some cases, a woman can walk with an already dead fetus inside her for several days or even weeks. The fact that the fetus is dead and the process of decomposition has begun may be indicated by pulling or severe pain in the abdomen, bloody discharge.

Fetal death at 8 weeks

The eighth week of pregnancy is a fairly early period, when the umbilical cord and placenta have not yet formed, the main purpose of which is to protect the fetus from the effects of external negative factors. At this stage, the embryo is extremely vulnerable, and an infection or hormonal imbalance can provoke developmental defects incompatible with life. Fetal death at such an early stage is quite common and in most cases ends in spontaneous miscarriage.

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Fetal death at 16 weeks

Fetal death most often occurs before 13 weeks, however, it happens that the fetus dies in the second trimester. At 16 weeks of pregnancy, the risk of pregnancy death is extremely high and several factors can contribute to this.

Intrauterine fetal death can occur due to infection, chromosomal abnormalities, Rh factor conflict between the child and mother, or past abortions.

Monitoring the growth of the uterus and ultrasound examinations help to detect a frozen pregnancy at 16 weeks. Signs of a frozen pregnancy (baby moving, pain in the lower abdomen, bloody discharge, etc.) do not always indicate the death of the fetus; only a specialist and ultrasound can confirm this diagnosis.

After confirming the death of the fetus in the womb, the doctor prescribes an emergency operation (curettage) to remove the fetus from the uterus, otherwise it can lead to inflammation, infection, and severe bleeding.

After the curettage, the woman is observed for several days and undergoes a full examination to determine the reasons for the fetal death.

After a missed pregnancy, it is advisable to plan the next one in at least six months.

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Frozen pregnancy of one fetus in twins

In twin pregnancies, the death of one of the embryos occurs once in a thousand pregnancies. Fetal death can occur for various reasons, often one fetus dies due to developmental abnormalities, improper blood circulation, developmental disorders of the placenta, umbilical cord. Also, the death of one of the embryos in twins can be facilitated by a mechanical factor, for example, an acute lack of oxygen in a single placenta and one fetal sac.

The death of one of the embryos leads to serious health problems for the second, as well as death. According to statistics, if one of the embryos dies in the first trimester, the probability of normal development and birth of the second reaches 90%. If one fetus stops developing within three weeks, then the embryo is completely reabsorbed or softens and dries out ("paper fetus").

If the death of one fetus in a twin pregnancy occurs at a later stage, the second may develop severe damage to the central nervous system, internal organs, or death.

If one of the embryos dies, the woman may not feel any symptoms. Usually, the pathology is detected by ultrasound (no heartbeat, no movement). One dead fetus in twins in the second and third trimesters can lead to a large loss of blood in the living child. Blood from the living fetus flows through the connecting vessels to the dead one, and since the heart does not work, the dead organism is able to absorb quite a lot of blood. Due to large blood loss, the living fetus may develop severe anemia, which will lead to damage to the central nervous system and oxygen starvation.

The doctor's actions directly depend on the period at which one of the children died. In the last months of pregnancy, the doctor may decide on an emergency delivery, despite the unpreparedness of the living fetus for birth. In this case, premature birth is less dangerous for the living child than further stay with a dead organism, and the less time passes from the moment of fetal death to artificial delivery, the better for the second child. With timely detection of a frozen pregnancy, the probability of a successful outcome for the living child is approximately 55%.

To treat pathology in the second trimester, they stop any connections between the two organisms and transfuse blood into the living fetus if there is no possibility of delivery.

In the third trimester, only artificial labor is used, since a dead organism poses a serious threat not only to a living child, but also to the mother, since coagulation disorders (blood clotting) are possible.

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How to determine fetal fading?

A frozen pregnancy can occur without any obvious symptoms. The pathology is detected after visiting a doctor. If there is a suspicion of a frozen pregnancy (the uterus is not large enough, the baby is not moving), then an ultrasound examination is always prescribed for a more accurate diagnosis.

It is also possible to determine fetal fading by analyzing urine and blood, which show deviations from the norm.

Early pregnancy loss

It is often difficult for a woman to detect a frozen pregnancy in the first weeks of pregnancy, since the symptoms are often hidden.

In most cases, the fading of pregnancy in the first trimester is accompanied by the disappearance of toxicosis, rapid fatigue, a decrease in basal temperature, and the cessation of swelling and soreness of the mammary glands.

In most cases, these signs are ignored or attributed by the woman to her new condition. It is possible to detect a frozen pregnancy after some examinations.

The doctor prescribes an hCG test; if the level of this hormone has dropped sharply or stops increasing, then the pregnancy is assumed to have stopped.

In some cases, an ultrasound scan may show that there is no embryo in the fertilized egg.

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Fetal death in the second trimester

Fetal freezing most often occurs in the first weeks of pregnancy. The death of the embryo before 18 weeks usually occurs due to various genetic disorders, and it is impossible to save such a pregnancy. Less often, pregnancy freezing occurs in the second trimester, as a rule, the cause is the flu, exacerbation of an infectious disease, hormonal disorders, etc. Only a specialist can establish the cause of pregnancy freezing after additional examination. In some cases, the cause of freezing remains unclear.

In the second trimester, the main sign of a pregnancy disorder is the lack of fetal movement. Around 18-20 weeks (earlier for repeat mothers), the fetus begins to move. If a woman notices that the baby has not moved for more than a day, this is a good reason to urgently contact a doctor.

During the examination, the doctor will determine the size of the abdomen, the fetal heartbeat will be heard during the ultrasound, and placental abruption may also be diagnosed. In addition, pain or bleeding may indicate abnormal pregnancy development.

Pregnancy freezing in the second trimester occurs quite rarely, the main cause of the pathology is severe maternal illness or genetic disorders. Also, intrauterine fetal death can occur as a result of trauma.

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Late term fetal death

Late fetal death can be determined by more pronounced signs. The main symptom of the pathology is the lack of movement.

In addition, there are a number of signs that may indicate a frozen pregnancy:

• the breasts become softer, not swollen
• severe weakness
• appetite changes (if it was absent before, it appears and vice versa)

After visiting a doctor, an hCG test and ultrasound examination are mandatory to confirm the diagnosis.

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How to prevent fetal death?

It is impossible to predict whether the fetus will freeze in most cases. But women who have already experienced the tragedy need to know how to try to prevent the recurrence of the pathology.

First of all, after the first frozen pregnancy, the doctor will conduct an examination to determine the reasons for the frozen pregnancy. If the reason is infectious diseases, then you should undergo a course of treatment before planning a child again.

A complete examination before pregnancy is recommended for all women, regardless of age.

The main examination of a woman consists of an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs, smears to detect diseases, urine and blood tests, infection tests, thyroid examination, and hormone level tests.

Additional research methods may also be possible, which the doctor may prescribe based on the woman’s medical history and individual characteristics of the body.

A frozen pregnancy is not a death sentence for a couple dreaming of having a child. In the early stages, the death of an embryo most often occurs due to a developmental anomaly incompatible with life. In the case of a repeated pregnancy, the probability of a frozen pregnancy is practically excluded. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle by future parents, following the doctor's recommendations, a full examination before planning a pregnancy and treatment of all existing diseases will help prevent the development of this pathology.