Vincent Leeover 1 year ago

13 week old fetus

This is a case of a spontaneous miscarriage of a 13 week old fetus that ended up this way due to pregnancy complications. Not an elective abortion. This young women came in with severe abdominal cramping and an increase in vagina bleeding. She was 13 weeks pregnant and unfortunately miscarried. This is a photo of the fetus. Bare in mind that miscarriage is a naturally occurring event due to complications and has nothing to do with medical or surgical abortions, or any interruption of the pregnancy! Pregnancy loss, also referred to as miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, is generally defined as a nonviable intrauterine pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation. Early pregnancy loss, which occurs in the first trimester, is the most common type. The period of pregnancy prior to fetal viability outside of the uterus is considered early pregnancy. Most consider early pregnancy to end at 20 weeks' gestation or when the fetus weighs 500 grams. The common reasons pregnancies miscarry are chromosome problems, abnormal physical development or an abnormal placental development. Other causes can be infections, uterine problems, diseases of the mother (diabetes, lupus, thyroid disease), trauma, and unhealthy lifestyle (obesity, drug and alcohol use). Patients with spontaneous complete abortion usually present with a history of vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, and passage of tissue. After the tissue passes, the vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain subsides. A complete abortion usually needs no further treatment, medically or surgically. With missed, incomplete, or inevitable abortion present before 13 weeks' gestation, treatment may include misoprostol as an alternative to surgery or performance of suction dilation and curettage. An ectopic pregnancy may be treated medically (methotrexate) or surgically (laparoscopy, laparotomy), depending on the clinical situation. The photo shows the fetus fully developed with all structures in place. The tiny black dots are the developing eyes, and the dark reddish/brownish tissue in the center is where the heart and developing lungs are located.