Patient's question:
To the hospital for a check-up, the doctor told her that the fetus had stopped developing. What are the symptoms of this?Doctor's answer:
If embryonic arrest occurs, all pregnancy symptoms in the expectant mother will gradually disappear. First, there will be no more nausea, vomiting, or other early pregnancy symptoms, and the feeling of breast fullness will also weaken. Then, there may be vaginal bleeding, often dark red and watery. Finally, lower abdominal pain may occur, and the embryo may be expelled. These symptoms vary from person to person. Some may even show no signs at all, directly experiencing abdominal pain, followed by miscarriage, or a missed miscarriage () detected only through routine ultrasound. The symptoms of embryonic arrest can be observed in the early stages of pregnancy. A woman's reproductive activities are closely linked to "essence, qi, and blood," which is the central aspect of female reproductive physiology. If this aspect is disrupted, it may be impossible to provide sufficient nourishment to the embryo after pregnancy, potentially leading to embryonic arrest, poor fetal growth, habitual abortion (), or miscarriage (). Let's first look at the symptoms of deficiency in a woman's "essence, qi, and blood." If you can identify with any of these symptoms, it means your body is not yet fully prepared for the future baby:(1) Pale complexion without luster, heavy limbs and body fatigue, soft limbs;
(2) Poor appetite, lack of desire to eat, poor digestion, shortness of breath and reluctance to speak;
(3) Cool lower abdomen, pain, fear of cold, cold hands and feet;
(4) Excessive leukorrhea like water or egg white, or yellow and viscous;
(5) Loose or intermittent diarrhea;
(6) Dry mouth, bad breath, irritability, restlessness, tendency to feel wronged;
(7) Dizziness, tinnitus, heavy head, dullness, headache;
(8) Insomnia, frequent dreams, fatigue and lethargy upon waking, reluctance to get out of bed;
(9) Lower back pain, inability to bend when severe, sharp pain like a fracture, weak knees;
(10) Reduced menstrual flow, delayed or early menstruation;
(11) Night sweats, hot palms and soles, decreased libido.
Six to eight weeks after pregnancy, if the expectant mother notices her pregnancy symptoms gradually decreasing—such as no more nausea, vomiting, or weakened breast fullness—you should be vigilant. These symptoms can be early signs of embryonic arrest. Some patients may experience vaginal bleeding with dark red watery discharge, while others may have lower abdominal pain. In such cases, it is essential to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnostic criteria for embryonic arrest include: embryonic development of ≥6 weeks without a gestational sac, or a deformed and shrunk gestational sac; when the gestational sac is ≥4 cm but no embryo is visible, or when the embryonic head and limb length is ≥1.5 cm but there is no fetal heartbeat, the embryo is considered abnormally developed.
Based on the above analysis, women who are older or have a history of embryonic arrest can refer to this information. If symptoms of "essence, qi, and blood" deficiency are present before pregnancy, it is recommended to first optimize your physical condition to avoidly attempting to preserve the pregnancy afterward, as it may be too late.
[Embryonic Arrest Recovery Network]