{"id":102499,"date":"2021-03-30T11:53:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T15:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/102499\/pregnancy-loss-missed-miscarriage\/"},"modified":"2021-10-04T05:18:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T09:18:50","slug":"pregnancy-loss-missed-miscarriage","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/102499\/pregnancy-loss-missed-miscarriage\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s a missed miscarriage? Here’s what you should know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Missed miscarriages are a form of pregnancy loss<\/a> in which a fetus fails to develop, but a woman’s body doesn’t recognize the loss and the pregnancy tissue is not expelled.<\/p>\n

More about missed miscarriages<\/h2>\n

Missed miscarriages are uncommon, occurring in about one-percent of all pregnancies, but when they happen, they can be devastating.<\/p>\n

Why do missed miscarriages happen?<\/h3>\n

The majority of missed miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy<\/a>. This type of pregnancy loss often happens as a result of chromosomal abnormalities with the embryo, for example if the embryo has too many or too few chromosomes. Abnormalities like these make it impossible for the body to continue the pregnancy. In other cases, a missed miscarriage occurs for unknown reasons.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms?<\/h3>\n

Women who experience a missed miscarriage usually don’t have typical miscarriage symptoms like bleeding or pain. In most cases, the miscarriage goes undetected until a woman’s next appointment. Some women still experience pregnancy symptoms<\/a>, which can happen if the placenta continues releasing the hormones that cause pregnancy symptoms. Unfortunately, the presence of pregnancy symptoms can make a missed miscarriage diagnosis that much more surprising.<\/p>\n

How is a missed miscarriage diagnosed?<\/h3>\n

Most women discover that they have miscarried at their regular check-up, when the provider notices an underdeveloped embryo or a lack of fetal heartbeat in the ultrasound. To make sure there isn’t a heartbeat, the provider will send the woman to a radiologist for confirmation. The provider will also probably take a blood test to measure hCG levels (the hormone that is produced during pregnancy). If these are low and there’s no heartbeat to be found in the ultrasound, the provider will diagnose a missed miscarriage.<\/p>\n

How is a missed miscarriage treated?<\/h3>\n

With a missed miscarriage, the body still has to expel pregnancy tissue, so after a diagnosis the next step is determining a way to remove this tissue. A provider might recommend any of the following for treatment.<\/p>\n