Warning causes and signs leading to pregnancy failure

The article was written by Master, Doctor Nguyen Nhu Thu Truc - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

The state of fetal failure can lead to the risk of stillbirth in the womb or dangerous complications of the brain due to lack of oxygen in the brain such as epilepsy, language retardation,... Below, MSc.BS Nguyen Nhu Thu Truc, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Vinmec Nha Trang hospital, will point out the causes and signs of pregnancy failure so that women can recognize and minimize these risks.

1. First of all, what is pregnancy failure? Fetal failure is a condition in which the fetus is deprived of oxygen during pregnancy or during labor. Fetal failure is one of the dangerous problems, indicating that the fetus is not developing normally.
Includes 2 types:
Chronic fetal distress: Occurs slowly and without obvious symptoms, can turn into acute fetal distress during labor. Acute Fetal Failure: Sudden onset during labor. Acute fetal failure is very dangerous, if not treated promptly, the fetus will experience brain complications, even death.

2. Causes of pregnancy failure 2.1 Causes from the mother's side The mother's supine position: puts pressure on the uterus on the aorta, causing a decrease in maternal blood flow to the uterus. The uterus can press on the vena cava, reducing blood flow back to the heart, causing hypotension and hypoperfusion. Therefore, pregnant women should lie on their left side so as not to harm the fetus. Bleeding in the mother: Pregnant women with bleeding due to trauma ... will affect the blood flow transported to the fetus. Or it can also be due to anemia, low blood pressure. Pregnant women with diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart failure, bacterial infections, viral infections can all lead to fetal failure.

2.2 Causes of the fetus Premature pregnancy Premature pregnancy: A fetus past the due date often has a calcified placenta, the oxygen supply is interrupted, causing the fetus to fail. Anemia, infection, fetal malformations, growth retardation,... 2.3 Causes of fetal appendages Placenta previa, placenta previa, placental abruption, placental insufficiency, placenta calcification,... Umbilical cord is damaged Prolapse or knots or abnormalities of the umbilical cord are all causes of preventing oxygen from being transported to the fetus. Premature rupture of membranes: The amniotic sac is the living environment that surrounds the fetus. When the water breaks, reducing the protective volume around the fetus, during labor, uterine contractions can compress the fetal head or the umbilical cord, causing hypoxia. Therefore, if there is an early rupture of membranes, the doctor will make a plan to shorten the labor time.

2.4 Obstetric causes Uterine contractions: During each uterine contraction, the blood circulation between the uterus and the placenta is interrupted for 15-60 seconds, the blood supply will be reduced by about 50%. The fetus survives thanks to the storage of oxygen and energy in the blood lake (the total amount of blood stored in the blood lake is about 250 ml). The period of cessation of blood circulation between mother and child is usually short, so a normal pregnancy can be tolerated. If this reserve is not enough due to excessive or intense contractions for a long time, the fetus will not receive enough oxygen. Difficult delivery due to mechanical causes Imbalance of the fetal head and pelvis: It may be because the fetus is too large or the mother's pelvis is too small, making the birth process difficult. Abnormal fetal position: Normally, the fetal head will rotate down towards the cervix to facilitate labor. But for some reason, the fetus is horizontal or the head is turned up, making the labor process prolonged, the fetus can be asphyxiated due to lack of oxygen.

2.5 Causes of drugs The fetus is inhibited by the use of anesthetics and analgesics. Use of uncontrolled tocolytic drugs increases uterine contractions 3. Signs of fetal distress 3.1 Amniotic fluid color: Monitor the color of amniotic fluid to identify signs of fetal distress
If the amniotic fluid turns dark yellow During pregnancy, it means that the fetus has chronic fetal failure, the mother needs to be treated immediately. If the amniotic fluid is blue, the pregnant mother has signs of fetal distress. In this case, the mother needs to be closely monitored, and depending on the status of the fetal heart, the stage of labor, the doctor will have appropriate treatment for the mother and the fetus. If there is meconium in the amniotic fluid, the pregnant mother will be at high risk of acute fetal distress during labor. This case also needs to be handled quickly, to avoid aspiration of meconium when the fetus is born.
3.2 Fetal heart beat irregularly The lack of oxygen during fetal failure will affect the fetal heart beat, leading to the fetal heart rate sometimes beating fast, sometimes beating slowly, sometimes over 160 times/minute, sometimes it goes below 100 times/minute. This sign will be checked most accurately when pregnant women have regular antenatal checkups, so ultrasound and fetal heart rate monitoring are the best ways to detect early signs of fetal distress.
3.3 Fetal movement disorder The fetus has abnormal movements, sometimes kicking hard and a lot, but sometimes pedaling slowly and the movement becomes less and less. If the fetus does not move for a long time, it is likely that the fetus is stillborn.
The mother can monitor the fetal movements by lying still on the bed, counting enough fetuses to have 4 movements in 30 minutes, showing that the fetus is still healthy. On the contrary, if within 4 hours, the fetus has less than 10 movements, the mother needs to go to the antenatal clinic immediately to check the status of the fetus.
Signs of fetal distress are often not obvious, so the most accurate way to determine is through ultrasound. Therefore, in order to know the best condition, pregnant women should regularly monitor and count fetal movements regularly, 3 times a day. At the same time, regular visits to the hospital to ensure that the fetus is safe and healthy.

The whole process of periodical antenatal care and monitoring during pregnancy at Vinmec is strictly carried out so that the mother can have the safest pregnancy.
Especially, with the package "Maternity package" at Vinmec General Hospital, mothers are comprehensively monitored and ultrasounded from pregnancy to childbirth and postpartum, making childbirth comfortable and light. softer.
For specific information about the package of fertility and maternity examination at Vinmec, customers please contact the hospitals and clinics of Vinmec health system nationwide or register directly on the website.