Patient's question:
Pregnant and went to the hospital for a check-up, they said the fetus stopped developing.Doctor's answer:
If embryonic arrest occurs, all pregnancy symptoms of the pregnant 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 bloody leukorrhea. Finally, lower abdominal pain may occur, and the embryo may be expelled. These manifestations vary from person to person. Some may even show no signs at all, directly experiencing abdominal pain, followed by miscarriage, or the arrest of fetal development being discovered through routine ultrasound examination.The symptoms of embryonic arrest can be observed in the pre-pregnancy and early stages.
All reproductive activities of women are closely linked to "essence, qi, and blood," which is the central link of female reproductive physiology. If this link is disrupted, it may be impossible to provide the embryo with sufficient nourishment after pregnancy, potentially leading to embryonic arrest, poor fetal growth, habitual abortion, or miscarriage.
Let's first look at the symptoms of insufficient "essence, qi, and blood" in women. If you can identify with any of these symptoms, it means your body has not yet prepared adequately for the future baby:
⑴ Pale complexion without luster, heavy limbs and body fatigue, soft limbs;
⑵ Poor appetite, lack of desire to eat, poor digestion, shortness of breath and reluctance to speak;
⑶ Cool lower abdomen, cold pain, aversion to cold, cool hands and feet;
⑷ Excessive leukorrhea like water or egg white, or yellow and viscous;
⑸ Loose or alternating loose and dry stools;
⑹ Dry mouth, bad breath, irritability, restlessness, easily feeling wronged;
⑺ Dizziness, tinnitus, heavy and dull head, headaches;
⑻ Insomnia, frequent dreams, fatigue and lethargy after waking, reluctance to get out of bed;
⑼ Lower back pain, inability to bend when severe, pain like a fracture, weak knees;
⑽ Reduced menstrual flow, delayed or early menstruation;
⑾ Night sweats, warm palms and soles, decreased libido.
If, after 6–8 weeks of pregnancy, the pregnant mother's pregnancy symptoms gradually decrease, such as the disappearance of nausea, vomiting, or other early pregnancy symptoms, and the feeling of breast fullness weakens, you should be vigilant. These symptoms can be considered early signs of embryonic arrest. Some patients may experience vaginal bleeding with dark red bloody leukorrhea, while others may have lower abdominal pain, requiring immediate medical examination.
The diagnostic criteria for embryonic arrest include: embryonic development of ≥6 weeks without a gestational sac, or a gestational sac that is deformed or shrunk; when the gestational sac is ≥4 cm but no embryonic bud is visible, or the head and limb length of the embryonic bud is ≥1.5 cm but there is no fetal heartbeat, the embryonic development is considered abnormal.