What is an incomplete miscarriage? – Antai Hospital

Incomplete Miscarriage (Early and Late)

Definition: 

An incomplete miscarriage is where you have miscarried, but some or most of the pregnancy tissues remain in the uterus. 

Causes

Generally, the body will flush out all the pregnancy tissues once the fetus or embryo has died. An incomplete miscarriage is caused by the body’s inability to pass out all the tissues naturally.

Symptoms 

The main symptoms of an incomplete miscarriage include:

• Prolonged and heavy vaginal bleeding 
• Abdominal pain or cramping 
• Loss of pregnancy symptoms 
  • Incomplete early miscarriage: morning sickness and breast tenderness
  • Incomplete late miscarriage: fetal movement

If you have discharged any pregnancy tissue from your vagina, place it in a clean container and bring it to your gynecologist to have it analyzed.

Risk factors

Any form of miscarriage regardless of the cause can lead to an incomplete miscarriage if the body is unable to expel all the pregnancy tissues out of the womb. Common causes of miscarriage include: 

• Immunological factor (Anti-embryonic antibodies present in mother’s body)
• Endocrine factor (Hormonal irregularities)
• Chromosomal abnormality 
• Cervical insufficiency
• Uterine abnormalities 
• Incorrect implantation position of fertilized egg
• Infection

However, one notable risk factor is the use of abortion pills. Abortion pills are taken to women who wish to have a miscarriage early in the pregnancy. There is a very high chance that you will have an incomplete miscarriage if you choose to take the abortion pill. 

Diagnosis

There are several tests to diagnose an incomplete miscarriage. Your gynaecologist will most likely check the following:

• Fetal heartbeat. The fetal heartbeat can be detected after the 6^th gestational week. Hence, a check for the fetal heartbeat will confirm if the pregnancy has ended.
• Ultrasound. An ultrasound can check if the miscarriage is an incomplete one. If it is incomplete, the ultrasound will reveal that the pregnancy sac and other materials are still present in the uterus.

Treatment 

In the case of an incomplete miscarriage, you should not immediately scrap your womb to clear all the pregnancy tissues. You should opt for a hysteroscopy to safely remove the fetus and the remaining pregnancy tissues to prevent any damage to your uterus. 

Before the hysteroscopy, the following checks should be done:

• Vaginal ultrasound (check the complete blood count)
• Female Reproductive Endocrinology test (FSH, LH, PRL, E2, Pg, T)
• Anti-embryonic antibodies level (Antai’s breakthrough technology) 

During the hysteroscopy, the following checks should be done:

• Condition of the embryo
• Condition of the uterine cavity
• Implantation position of the embryo

After the hysteroscopy, the following check should be done:

• Chromosomal abnormalities in embryo 

This thorough examination will allow for a quick and accurate diagnosis of the root cause of the miscarriage. Antai hospital provides a one-stop service for patients, from hysteroscopy to all the checks mentioned above. This one-stop service will ensure that patients can safely clear their womb, get diagnosed, and receive appropriate treatments in the shortest time possible.

Please email [email protected] for any enquiry.  

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