A chemical pregnancy, also known as a “latent miscarriage,” is a very early miscarriage that occurs between week 3 – week 4 of pregnancy. Because of how early it occurs, it is very difficult to diagnose (90% of Chemical Pregnancies are undiagnosed). To put it into words: The rate of detection of a chemical pregnancy is far lower than its rate of occurrence.
Furthermore, some patients are even misdiagnosed to be infertile, when in reality they are suffering from an extremely early miscarriage and it has nothing to do with their fertility (they are fully-capable of getting pregnant).
It occurs when the egg is already fertilized with a sperm cell forming the zygote, but it is:
- It is not fully implanted in the endometrium (partially implanted in the basal layer).
- Its implantation on the endometrium is too shallow (implanted only on the functional layer only).
Between the window of 7-8 days after ovulation and before their next period arrives, these patients will test positive for HCG levels (embryonic trophoblasts start HCG secretion) via:
- Pregnancy test kits may or may not indicate your pregnancy (HCG might be too low to be detectable by test kits)
- A blood test (indicate detectable levels of HCG in the blood)
Both these tests now confirm that they are pregnant, leading them into a false sense of security. But as soon as they are nearing their usual menses, they go through menstruation and miscarry the newly conceived child. It is both confusing and devastating news to the mother to hear that she had lost her baby soon after she just got pregnant.
Prevention is vital when dealing with a chemical pregnancy. We here at Antai strongly recommend our preventive treatment so this unfortunate event does not happen again.
What Causes a Chemical Pregnancy?
Dr. Chen Fenglin from Antai Hospital has identified that the primary cause behind chemical pregnancies is strongly related to immunity factors, that it is an immune-miscarriage. Specifically, the mother’s body already has anti-embryonic antibodies before getting pregnant. (include having a history of induced abortion ) In her subsequent pregnancies, the antibodies will generate an immune reaction that causes damage to the chorionic villi’s outer layer, known as the Fibronectin layer. Click here to read more.
The damage done to the chorionic villi leads to:
Poor implantation of the embryo on the endometrium
The embryo may have partially implanted into the endometrium’s basal layer or is completely embedded on the endometrium’s functional layer. Both cases provide a volatile environment for the embryo to grow, leading it to detach from the endometrium, causing a miscarriage.
Corpus Luteum Insufficiency (Secondary factor)
The damaged chorionic villi affect the growth and development of the corpus luteum (low HCG), significantly affecting its ability to secrete the required amounts of Progesterone to sustain a healthy pregnancy. This is known as Corpus Luteum Insufficiency.
Progesterone itself plays a crucial role in helping the development of the chorionic villi. So, Corpus Luteum Insufficiency also affects the growth and development of the villi, which leads to dropping levels of HCG, causing a vicious cycle.
The diagram below better illustrates the vicious cycle that occurs in a chemical pregnancy:
In subsequent pregnancies, if left untreated, this immunoreaction that occurs in pregnancies may arise at an increasingly alarming rate due to increasing levels of anti-embryonic antibodies in your body over time. Initially, the miscarriage may happen in the 5th or 6th gestational week, but it may take less than 4 or 3 weeks to cause a miscarriage in subsequent pregnancies.
What are the Signs of a Chemical Pregnancy? (Diagnosis)
To diagnose a possible chemical pregnancy in the early days of your pregnancy, we need to check for the following:
- HCG levels are positive before your period arrives.
- HCG levels are lower than normal healthy levels and are decreasing over time.
- Test for Progesterone levels (should be low)
- Test for the presence of anti-embryonic antibodies
B-scan cannot reveal anything as the embryo has not yet developed a visible gestational sac.
Medical History
- You may have a history of recurrent miscarriages, induced abortion, went into labor before, etc.
- You may have had more than one chemical pregnancy; you may already have certain primary diseases/conditions that cause Corpus Luteum Insufficiency.
Some of these complications include:
- POI
- PCOS
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Endometriosis (Chocolate cysts)Teratoma and more.
Click in the links to learn more.
Treatment
The best way to treat chemical pregnancy is to prevent it from happening in the future. It is essential that before any pregnancy, you are recommended to undergo a thorough examination and receive appropriate treatments to avoid potential complications that may arise during pregnancy.
Our Antai preventive treatment must be done before any pregnancy occurs following the two steps below:
Antai Hospital will administer our patented and highly effective immunotherapy that specifically counteracts anti-embryonic antibodies effects and prevents the immunomiscarriage from occurring. Clickhere to read more on how it works.
- Ovulation Induction Medication
Antai Hospital will then administer Ovulation Induction Medication such as Tamoxifen, Clomid tablets, Letrozole, etc., to treat Corpus Luteum Insufficiency. The medication stimulates the ovaries for healthy follicles, corpus luteum, and egg development, leading to healthy Progesterone levels.
Here at Antai Hospital, we can effectively prevent chemical pregnancy with our patented immunotherapy once the root cause is determined. After receiving treatment, you may opt for a pregnancy again and give birth to healthy children.
Antai Hospital is the only private hospital that offers a full contractual treatment with a full refund policy. If you want to find out more, please arrange a consultation with us today.