A missed abortion is diagnosed when an embryo or fetus ceases to live or stops developing, but the pregnancy tissue remains inside the uterus for an extended period, potentially weeks or even months.

Essentially, in a missed abortion, fetal demise happens, yet the body does not expel the pregnancy.

Typically, the embryo stops developing before the gestational age of 8 weeks is reached.

Often, the disappearance of pregnancy symptoms will cause a woman to seek medical evaluation. These symptoms may include: vaginal bleeding, pain in the abdomen, brownish discharge from the vagina. Upon examination, the cervix is typically found to be closed.

Clinical Features of Missed Abortion

• Menstrual History: A history of a missed menstrual period (amenorrhea) is usually present.

• Initial Pregnancy Symptoms Fade: Symptoms that initially suggested a threatened abortion may have been present but then subsided or disappeared.

• Lack of Expected Pregnancy Signs: The typical signs of a progressing pregnancy are absent upon examination.

• Breast Changes Reverse: The breasts may become smaller, reversing the changes typically associated with pregnancy.

• Uterine Size Not Progressing: The uterus does not grow as expected for the gestational age, indicating the fetus is not developing.

• Products of Conception Detached, Not Expelled: The pregnancy tissue separates completely from the uterine walls but is not expelled from the body.

• Cervical Status: The cervix remains tightly closed.

• Later Symptoms: After some weeks, a brownish vaginal discharge might precede further bleeding, lower abdominal discomfort, and the eventual expulsion of a reddish-brown mass of tissue.