The fallopian tubes transport eggs from the ovaries and can store fertilized eggs for up to three days during pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies, where the fertilized egg stays in the tube, can be dangerous and are often caused by previous damage or abnormalities.
The fallopian tubes are a set of two narrow tubes that make up an important part of the female reproductive system. Because a woman’s ovaries produce an egg each month, the fallopian tubes serve as a means of travel to move the egg from the ovaries so it can potentially be fertilized with sperm. If an egg is not fertilized, the fallopian tubes act as a repository for the egg until it degenerates. For a fertilized egg, what happens to the fallopian tubes during pregnancy, especially in the early stages, can mean the difference between a successful full-term pregnancy or one that can cause danger to the mother and the embryo.
One of the first things that happens to the fallopian tubes during pregnancy is that they convert into a storage area for the fertilized egg for about three days. During these three days, the fertilized egg begins to multiply into many different cells. The fallopian tubes then pass the fertilized egg through to the uterus, where the egg can then attach itself to the endometrium, or inner lining of the uterus. Once the fertilized egg passes through the fallopian tubes and attaches itself to the uterus, pregnancy can begin and the egg can begin developing into a fetus.
Although major changes don’t tend to happen to the fallopian tubes during pregnancy, if the fertilized egg doesn’t move properly through the fallopian tubes and instead stays in one of the tubes, it’s called an ectopic pregnancy. Because the fallopian tubes are not meant to play a major role in pregnancy or to contain a developing embryo or fetus, an ectopic pregnancy cannot be carried to term. Besides the fact that the fertilized egg cannot result in the birth of a child, it can also be dangerous or potentially life threatening to the mother. The fallopian tube with the embryo is at risk of rupture and can cause uncontrollable bleeding requiring emergency medical attention.
An ectopic pregnancy can have a variety of causes, most of which tend to have to do with some type of previous damage to the fallopian tubes. An infection affecting the fallopian tubes can increase a woman’s chances of having an ectopic pregnancy in the future. Scar tissue or other tubal damage caused by surgery can also increase the likelihood of malfunctioning fallopian tubes during pregnancy. Abnormalities of the fallopian tubes such as a birth defect or due to growths on the tubes can also contribute to ectopic pregnancies.
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