Patient's question:
What is a threatened miscarriage and how to avoid it?Doctor's answer:
Threatened AbortionDisease Overview
The main symptoms include vaginal bleeding, which is light in amount, despite a positive pregnancy test after a missed period. It may also be accompanied by lower abdominal pain and a sensation of pelvic heaviness, indicating signs of threatened abortion. There are several possible causes of threatened abortion, such as abnormal fertilized eggs, endocrine disorders, placental dysfunction, blood type incompatibility, maternal systemic diseases, excessive mental stress, genital organ malformations or inflammation, trauma, and more. Any of these factors can lead to threatened abortion.
Whether threatened abortion progresses to a full abortion often depends on whether the embryo is abnormal. If the embryo is normal, bleeding may stop after rest and treatment, and the pregnancy can continue. However, most abortions are caused by abnormal embryos, so the pregnancy will ultimately end in miscarriage.
Key Self-Diagnosis Points
After becoming pregnant, if there is light vaginal bleeding, the color may vary—fresh red, pink, or dark brown—depending on the amount of blood and how long it accumulates in the vagina. Mild lower abdominal pain, a sensation of pelvic heaviness, and mild lower back pain or abdominal discomfort may also occur. Approximately half of patients with threatened abortion will eventually miscarry. Excessive bleeding may lead to infection or even sepsis, which can be fatal.
Treatment Recommendations
If a pregnant woman notices signs of threatened abortion, she should seek medical attention as soon as possible to determine the cause and the condition of the fetus. However, unnecessary vaginal examinations should be minimized to reduce stimulation to the uterus. If the pregnancy test is positive and body temperature and ultrasound results suggest the pregnancy is viable, treatment to support the pregnancy should be undertaken under medical guidance. If vaginal bleeding exceeds menstrual flow or other diagnoses confirm fetal demise or inevitable abortion, the patient should