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A chemical pregnancy is an early miscarriage that occurs when a fertilized egg fails to implant in the uterus. It is often unnoticed and can be mistaken for a late or irregular period. There is no known way to prevent it, and it is believed to be quite common.
A chemical pregnancy refers to a very early miscarriage that occurs after conception when the fertilized egg fails to implant itself in the uterus. This condition is often referred to as a false positive and usually occurs within the first five weeks of pregnancy. It often goes unnoticed and is thought to be quite common.
After conception, a pregnancy confirmed using regular home pregnancy tests will detect levels of hCG, or human growth hormone. A more sophisticated blood test, usually done in a clinical setting, will also detect hCG levels and confirm pregnancy. Both are accurate diagnoses as conception has occurred, however in the case of a chemical pregnancy, the fertilized egg fails to implant itself in the walls of the uterus, thus resulting in a miscarriage. This early miscarriage occurs before an ultrasound could show pictures of a gestational sac or detect a heartbeat. If the pregnancy develops to the point where an ultrasound can collect images confirming implantation, then it becomes a clinical pregnancy.
Signs and symptoms of this type of pregnancy include vaginal bleeding shortly after having a positive pregnancy test and blood tests revealing that hCG hormones are decreasing rather than increasing. Unusually heavy periods, late periods, or periods accompanied by cramping and mild clotting have been known to accompany chemical pregnancies.
Most doctors believe the condition occurs for the same reasons as most other spontaneous abortions or miscarriages: chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus, inadequate uterine lining, uterine abnormalities, low hormone levels, and infections. It’s not clear exactly what causes chemical pregnancies, as it’s nearly impossible to obtain DNA samples for chromosome testing.
Some researchers have theorized that up to 70% of conceptions end in early miscarriage, however it is highly unknown how common a chemical pregnancy is. In some cases, women who aren’t trying to conceive and don’t closely monitor their menstrual cycles may have early miscarriages and never know it.
Chemical pregnancies usually have little effect on a woman’s body and often go unnoticed. These early miscarriages are mistaken for a late or irregular period and, in some cases, are accompanied by more cramping. Adequate medical care should be obtained after an early miscarriage to ensure complete expulsion of the fetal tissue. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent a chemical pregnancy.
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