Author Bio: Prapti Chauhan is a professor of Genetics in Bangalore. She has contributed to several online research papers. However, she passionately develops content on pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, public cord blood banking, umbilical cord lining, and more.
Ectopic Pregnancy - Things to KnowPosted by Prapti Chauhan on May 21st, 2021 The word ‘ectopic’ means ‘in an abnormal place or position’. When the embryo develops in any place other than the uterus it is called an ectopic pregnancy, or EP. On average, one out of 50 pregnancies or 2% of pregnancies is ectopic. Unfortunately, ectopic pregnancies are terminated or else it can become fatal for the mother. There is only a handful of reported cases where the mother has been able to carry an ectopic pregnancy full term and deliver. Those cases are considered medical miracles. Signs of ectopic pregnancyThe initial signs of ectopic pregnancy are similar to that of a normal pregnancy. The usual pregnancy symptoms such as missed periods, nausea, fatigue and tenderness of the breasts are there. It is hard to diagnose ectopic pregnancy in the early stages. Between the fourth and tenth week, symptoms indicating an ectopic pregnancy may start to appear. Certain symptoms should not be ignored as they can indicate ectopic pregnancy:
Diagnosis of Ectopic PregnancyAn ultrasound is the best way to confirm an ectopic pregnancy. Your radiologist may use a transducer, a wand-like object, to perform a trans-abdominal or transvaginal ultrasound. A transvaginal ultrasound is an internal procedure where the transducer is inserted inside the vagina to see the placement of the embryo. An ultrasound should be performed only after the fifth week from the last periods. If required, your radiologist may repeat the ultrasound after a couple of weeks. Treatment of Ectopic PregnancyEctopic pregnancy can rupture the fallopian tube and cause fatal bleeding. Unfortunately, the only treatment for ectopic pregnancy is termination. The pregnancy can be terminated with medicines or surgically. Your doctor may give you a medicine called methotrexate to stop the growth of the embryo. Within fifteen days, the embryo cells will be reabsorbed by the body. If the embryo has grown too big for medicines to work then surgery is the only solution. Who are at Risk?
Ectopic pregnancy cannot be prevented but you can at least be careful and get diagnosed early to avoid severe rupture and bleeding. However, the one silver lining is that researchers are now using ectopic pregnancies as a valuable source for stem cell research. Like it? Share it! More by this author |