A member asked:
When i went into get my first ultra sound from my ob, at 12 weeks, on feb 29th, she concluded that there was no fetal heart beat when i went into get my first ultra sound from my ob, at 12 weeks, on feb 29th, she concluded that there was no fetal heart be
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. John Hansillanswered
Gynecology 25 years experience
This : This is called a "missed abortion" in the ob/gyn language. It just means that the fetus has passed away and the body has not yet rejected the products of conception. There are 3 ways to clear the uterus of the missed abortion. 1). Sit and wait. The body will eventually reject it and start the "natural process." this isn't always the best option because you have dead tissue inside your uterus that can get infected and make you very very ill. 2). Medication induction. Cytotec (misoprostol) is a medication we use to induce labor. We also can use this medication to induce a "missed abortion." the pills are used vaginally and orally in a specific regimen that are much higher doses than used to induce labor in a living term infant. This is a very safe way to relieve the body of the "products of conception." 3). Lastly is the D&C where we aspirate or curettage the inside of the uterus to remove the conception. This is also a very safe procedure. Most ob/gyn doctors are very careful to not perferate the uterus with the surgical instruments.
There is little risk to all options, however, if you wait too long and the uterus/conception products become infected you could end up in the intensive care unit.
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5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 3, 2016
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