Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy is the most common cause of first-trimester maternal death in the United States. Statistics given by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) paint an alarming picture. The rate of Ectopic pregnancy in the United States – which is 2% of all pregnancies, has increased by five times since 1970.

What Is An Ectopic Pregnancy?

The literal meaning of the word Ectopic is ‘out of place.’ What happens in such a case is that a fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus. This egg usually settles in the fallopian tubes, more than 95% of the time, causing such cases to also be known as ‘tubal pregnancies.’ If the egg is implanted in the ovary, abdomen or the cervix, these are called cervical or abdominal pregnancies.

Thus, Ectopic pregnancy can be called an abnormal pregnancy that does not occur in the uterus or womb. Also, the woman who is carrying it is at a risk as such a pregnancy is bound to end in miscarriage. There is serious danger to a woman’s health in such a case.

Some facts about Ectopic Pregnancy

• It is said that once a woman has had an Ectopic pregnancy, if she conceives again she has a good 10-15% risk of having another one.
• Also, around 30% of the women who have had such pregnancies do not find it easy getting pregnant again.
• Till date, medical science has not been able to find a clear reason for Ectopic pregnancy.

These statistics might be frightening, but usually deaths due to Ectopic pregnancy are rare. Due to early detection attempts present in medicine today, there is usually one or less than 1 death in around 2,500 cases.

Early diagnosis plays a vital part in this scenario - the earlier an abnormal or Ectopic pregnancy is detected, the better are the mother's chances of survival.

Vital Causes of Ectopic Pregnancy in Women

Inability of egg to reach uterus

The most known reason for an Ectopic pregnancy is the inability of a fertilized egg to work its way quickly enough into the uterus from the fallopian tube. This inability of the egg may stem due to any infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube which blocks it. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most common of the infections in women which may lead to an Ectopic pregnancy.

Endometriosis

Another reason given for Ectopic pregnancy is Endometriosis. When cells from the lining of the uterus detach and grow elsewhere in the body or scar tissue from previous abdominal or fallopian surgeries cause blockage of the eggs. More rarely, birth defects or abnormal growths can alter the shape of the tube and disrupt the egg's progress.

Why Do These Problems Cause Ectopic Pregnancy?

There may be many answers to the question as to why women suffer from Ectopic pregnancy. There may be a number of individual reasons which cause a large number of women to miscarry.

The problem arises because none of these areas has that much space or nurturing tissue which the uterus has for the baby to develop. So, as the fetus grows, it will eventually burst the organ that contains it. This can cause a lot of bleeding and danger to the mother’s health and life. A classical Ectopic pregnancy never results into a live birth.