Miscarriage has only one explanation, but there are many different types of miscarriage. The most dangerous of these is silent miscarriage, also known as "missing miscarriage." So, what is a silent miscarriage?
In most cases, miscarriage is obvious and accompanied by visible symptoms that indicate its occurrence. However, in a silent miscarriage, the woman does not experience any symptoms and may discover the fetal heartbeat has stopped by chance. .
What is Silent Miscarriage?
A silent miscarriage occurs when the fetus stops growing while the placenta continues to secrete pregnancy hormones.
This type of miscarriage is called a silent miscarriage because it is often not accompanied by any bleeding or symptoms, which makes it difficult to diagnose the condition quickly and easily, unlike a natural miscarriage.
Causes of silent miscarriage
Although the causes of silent miscarriage remain unknown in most cases, doctors believe that if a silent miscarriage occurs between the sixth and tenth week of pregnancy, the causes of silent miscarriage,
may be related to the following:
- An abnormality in the fetal chromosome number
- A defect in the development of fetal cells and organs to developing normally and complete.
- Problems within the uterus itself and the presence of harmful scar tissue
- An autoimmune disease
- Smoking.
silent miscarriage signs
A silent miscarriage is so named because it is an inconspicuous miscarriage that occurs without bleeding or cramping. As a result, identifying silent miscarriage signs is difficult and requires careful monitoring and focus from the pregnant woman.
Unlike a normal miscarriage, a silent miscarriage usually does not cause any symptoms for the pregnant woman. However, there are some things that are considered an indicator of a silent miscarriage which can be considered as symptoms of silent miscarriage and include:
- Absence or sudden cessation of usual pregnancy symptoms, especially morning sickness, vomiting, and breast changes.
- vaginal discharge
Silent Miscarriage Discharge
After reviewing the signs of silent miscarriage, it is worth noting that in some rare cases, a silent miscarriage may cause vaginal discharge that is brown in color.
Pregnant women should be aware that feeling or disappearing pregnancy symptoms may involve many possibilities and speculations. Sometimes, the placenta may continue to grow, and pregnancy hormones may remain active, causing pregnancy symptoms without stopping despite the fetus's death. Furthermore, the cessation of pregnancy symptoms may not necessarily mean a silent miscarriage, as in some cases, many pregnancy symptoms subside and even cease as the pregnancy progresses.
In the end, it remains important for every mother to know the danger of Silent Miscarriage Discharge, even if they are among the rare signs of silent miscarriage.
Diagnosis of Silent Miscarriage
In most cases, a missed or silent miscarriage is discovered incidentally during a routine ultrasound. However, in some cases, a woman may experience fading signs of pregnancy, including morning sickness, chest pain, and fatigue, prompting her to visit the nearest health center to check on her fetus. When visiting a doctor, a silent miscarriage is detected through ultrasound and fetal heart rate monitoring. This is one of the most difficult experiences a pregnant woman can go through when the doctor tells her that the fetus has no heartbeat and has stopped growing.
Steps to Diagnose Silent Miscarriage
- The woman undergoes an ultrasound examination to monitor the fetus.
- Testing pregnancy hormone levels in a woman's blood.
- Checking the fetal heartbeat by 4D Ultrasound.
After diagnosing a silent miscarriage, the doctor determines the best method for aborting the fetus, based on the woman's condition and gestational age, whether by medication or curettage.
Treatment and Recovery
Bedaya Hospital pays great attention to the psychological aspect of the woman to smoothly go through the treatment period and recover from a silent miscarriage.
After confirming that a silent miscarriage has occurred, doctors follow the following procedures to facilitate the removal of dead tissue from the woman's body:
A treatment protocol consists of a set of medications the woman takes to help facilitate the expulsion of the miscarriage tissue from the uterus, a process that may take several days or weeks.
The woman undergoes a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, in which the doctor removes the remaining tissue using a special suction tool and clears the uterus of it.
It is worth noting that in more than two-thirds of silent miscarriages, the tissue and pregnancy remains are passed naturally through the vagina without any medical intervention or complications.
Risks of Silent Miscarriage
A silent miscarriage usually does not pose a threat to a woman's life, but there are some things that require urgent medical advice, so you need to contact your doctor if you experience any unusual signs during pregnancy, or if you experience any of the following miscarriage symptoms:
- Vaginal bleeding.
- Unusual vaginal discharge.
- Severe uterine cramps.
Sometimes the term "silent miscarriage" is used for a miscarriage in which the normal symptoms of miscarriage may appear but come somewhat late, that is, days or weeks after the death of the fetus.
Final Advice from Bedaya Hospital reminds you of the importance of adhering to the scheduled follow-up appointments to ensure the fetus’s condition and to avoid silent miscarriage or sudden problems.
