The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Nguyen Anh Tu - Obstetric Ultrasound Doctor - Prenatal Diagnosis - Obstetrics Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
There are signs of delayed menstruation, the pregnancy test shows 2 lines but when going for an ultrasound, the fetus is not detected, this is a case that many women encounter. So is this condition serious?
1. Reasons why ultrasound does not detect the fetus
Fetal ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses sound waves to create an image of the fetus in the uterus. Fetal ultrasound images can help doctors assess the growth and development of the baby and monitor your pregnancy. In some cases, fetal ultrasound is used to assess possible problems or help diagnose.
There are two types of ultrasounds commonly used:
- Transvaginal ultrasound: With this type of ultrasound, a device called a probe is placed in your vagina to emit sound waves and collect the reflections. Transvaginal ultrasound is most commonly used in early pregnancy. This type of ultrasound can also be performed if transabdominal ultrasound does not provide enough information.
- Transabdominal ultrasound: An ultrasound is performed by moving the probe over your abdomen.
After a positive pregnancy test, the next thing that women usually do is to have an ultrasound to make sure that they are pregnant, but there are different reasons why the fetus does not appear on the ultrasound:
- Early signs of pregnancy: A positive pregnancy test is a sign of pregnancy, but this may be an early stage, when the fertilized zygote may be gradually moving from the fallopian tube to nest in the uterus. Usually, the fetus is seen on ultrasound around the 5th week of pregnancy or when the hCG concentration reaches 1100. Before this time, ultrasound will not be able to detect the fetus in the mother's body.
- You have had a miscarriage: When having a miscarriage, the pregnant woman often has signs of vaginal bleeding, severe abdominal pain and abdominal stiffness. If you have the above signs, you may have had a miscarriage before the ultrasound.
- Ectopic pregnancy: This is a condition in which the fertilized zygote does not enter the uterine cavity but attaches to any place other than the endometrium to develop. Ectopic pregnancy is a dangerous condition that can adversely affect the mother's health and future fertility if not detected and intervened promptly. If an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, the doctor will request a beta hCG/blood test and perform a transvaginal ultrasound for an accurate diagnosis.
2. How to handle the situation of ultrasound not seeing the gestational sac?
If the ultrasound does not detect the gestational sac, do not worry too much, maybe because you are so eager to get pregnant that you went for a check-up before the fetus has time to implant, the gestational sac has not entered the uterine cavity. In this case, the doctor will schedule a follow-up appointment later to wait for the sperm and fertilized egg to return to the correct position.
If a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy is suspected, the doctor will ask you to do a series of blood tests. This is to find out where your fetus is developing. In addition, additional tests are needed to check the levels of pregnancy hormones and monitor how they are changing.
If you have an ultrasound but do not see the fetus, what you need to do is to return for a check-up according to the doctor's appointment or whenever you have unusual signs such as abdominal pain, bleeding.... go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.
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