what is a blighted ovum

A blighted ovum, also known as an anembryonic pregnancy, is a type of early miscarriage that occurs when a fertilized egg implants into the uterus but does not develop into an embryo. The gestational sac and placenta will grow, but the embryo will stop growing or never form. The placenta and empty gestational sac will release pregnancy hormones, even without an embryo present, causing early symptoms of pregnancy or a positive pregnancy test. A blighted ovum is usually caused by chromosomal or genetic problems during cell division. The cause of a blighted ovum is often unknown, but it may be due to chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized egg. A blighted ovum is diagnosed using transvaginal ultrasound, which will show an empty gestational sac. A blighted ovum eventually results in miscarriage, and some women choose to wait for the miscarriage to happen naturally, while others take medication to trigger the miscarriage or undergo a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove the placental tissues. Most women who have had a blighted ovum go on to have successful pregnancies.