Miscarriage from a blighted ovum is usually caused by genetic chromosomal defects in the fertilized ovum, according to WebMD. A blighted ovum is a fertilized egg that implants in the uterus, but then fails to develop into an embryo.Know More
Also referred to as an anembryonic pregnancy, because the gestational sac develops but the embryo does not, blighted ovum causes half of all miscarriages during the first trimester, states WebMD. The Mayo Clinic explains that a blighted ovum usually occurs in the first few weeks of pregnancy, frequently before a woman knows she is pregnant.
A woman with an anembryonic pregnancy can miss a period or get a positive result from a pregnancy test, because the placenta releases a pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG, states the Mayo Clinic. When the embryo fails to develop, the placenta stops growing and the pregnancy hormone subsides. Eventually a miscarriage occurs.
WebMD explains that the pregnancy fails because either the egg or sperm contributed damaged chromosomes or because the fertilized egg's cells fail to divide properly. The woman's body stops the pregnancy because it recognizes the abnormality.
If a woman has one blighted ovum that does not mean that she will necessarily have another. The Mayo Clinic states that most women who experience a blighted ovum go on to have successful pregnancies.Learn more about Reproductive Anatomy
Thickening of the uterus lining, or endometrial hyperplasia, is usually caused by too much estrogen without progesterone, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This hormonal imbalance occurs when a woman does not ovulate.Full Answer >
When a mature ovum is released from one of a woman's ovaries, tiny projections on the fallopian tubes collect the ovum and place it inside the fallopian tube. The ovum is then pushed through the tube by peristaltic contractions and the action of the cilia.Full Answer >
About.com explains that a high cervix is one of the characteristics that indicates the ovaries are about to release an ovum. The position of the cervix, the extent to which it is open and its firmness are all characteristics that change throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle.Full Answer >
According to NHS Choices, an ovum, or egg, is only viable for 12 to 24 hours after it moves from the ovaries. Sperm, on the other hand, can stay alive in the woman's fallopian tubes for up to a week, notes the site.Full Answer >