A missed miscarriage is also known as a silent miscarriage. This happens when something happens and the pregnancy  doesnt continue to develop. The body fails to recognize the pregnancy loss or expel the tissue.  As a result you may not have any of the usual signs of a miscarriage such as pain and bleeding.

It could be that the embryo  didn’t develop at all and a pregnancy sac is absent, a condition known as blighted ovum. Another reason may be that the embryo started to grow but then stopped growing.

You may experience pregnancy symptoms. However when hormonal levels start to fall, those signs may decrease slightly. Your breast may feel  less tender and any nausea you have  may stop.

This condition   usually goes undiagnosed until during  a routine ultrasound when the doctor fails to detect  a heartbeat. A subsequent ultrasound will show an undeveloped fetus.

What causes a missed miscarriage ?

Most missed miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus which doesn’t allow the pregnancy to develop. In later pregnancy, a missed miscarriage may be due to infections with parvovirus or rubella.  If the doctor thinks this is the case, he will give you  a blood  test for toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex (TORCH).

What is the treatment for a missed miscarriage ?

If a missed miscarriage occurred in early pregnancy, the body may be able to expel the pregnancy tissue naturally. However if the fetal tissues remain, a procedure known as evacuation of retained products of conception (ERPC) is done. It is done under general anesthesia and removes any pregnancy  tissues in the womb.

After a missed miscarriage, couples are encouraged to wait 1 to 3 menstrual cycles before trying again.