Biochemical pregnancy after IVF (in vitro fertilization) occurs quite often in clinical practice worldwide. In this case, we can say that the pregnancy took place: the ovum was successfully implanted into the wall of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), but at the same time it cannot develop, since a spontaneous abortion occurs at very early stages of gestation.
A woman may not know about the onset of pregnancy and its subsequent termination. If conception occurs naturally, then the risk of a biochemical pregnancy is extremely small.
What is biochemical pregnancy
Biochemical pregnancy differs from natural only in early termination. Spontaneous abortion occurs almost immediately after the introduction of the ovum. Pregnancy is terminated until it becomes possible to register it for an ultrasound scan or medical examination. BCB initially develops as a natural one, but due to a certain disturbance of physiological mechanisms it does not transform into a clinical form. Instead, your period begins. The ovum comes out with menstrual blood.
According to statistics, more than half of women of reproductive age face a similar phenomenon. At the same time, only a few people know that pregnancy has taken place. Spontaneous abortion occurs with the onset of menstruation. In the early stages of gestation, a woman does not know about her position, so bleeding from the vagina does not cause her anxiety. They can be unusually heavy or accompanied by uncharacteristic pain. Only a woman who planned to conceive can alert this situation.
After a biochemical pregnancy, the female body recovers on its own. Taking all the factors into account, it comes as no surprise that most women have no idea about biochemical pregnancy. Reproductive health experts have been actively talking about this problem relatively recently - with the development and popularization of the IVF procedure. It helps many couples to solve the problem of infertility, but after such manipulation, biochemical pregnancy happens quite often.
With natural fertilization, biochemical pregnancy is extremely rare due to the difficulties of determination. With IVF, it is easier to recognize. No later than 14 days after replanting embryos, an analysis is performed for hCG (human chorionic hormone). Based on the indicators of its content in the woman's body, it is possible to determine whether pregnancy has occurred, and in case of spontaneous abortion, classify it as biochemical conception.
Causes of biochemical pregnancy as a result of IVF
Pregnancy may not develop into a clinical form due to several factors.
- Endocrine imbalance. The female sex hormone, progesterone, is responsible for the safe implantation of the embryo and its subsequent preservation. Its level in a woman's body decreases with a reduced functional activity of the corpus luteum. In this case, the expectant mother develops symptoms of the threat of spontaneous abortion or miscarriage.
- Chromosomal mutations of the embryo. They can appear at any time, but there are extremely critical periods. In the first three days after fertilization, the division of cells of the zygote is carried out due to the genetic material of the egg, and from the fourth day the embryo's own genome appears. If there are no various kinds of defects in it, then the embryo continues to develop safely. Therefore, when replanting three-day morula, the probability of pregnancy is 39-41%, and for five-day morula it is approximately 42-48%.
- Autoimmune processes in the mother's body and other abnormalities in her immune system. In this case, the woman's immunity perceives the embryo as a foreign object, so the cells of the immune system begin to attack it in every possible way. For example, with antiphospholipid syndrome, antibodies to phospholipids are produced, which are produced during the introduction of the ovum into the endometrium. This pathology is characterized by the threat of thrombus formation, which can lead to malnutrition of the embryo and, as a result, early termination of pregnancy.
- Diseases of the blood in a woman due to a violation of the mechanism of coagulation (such as thrombophilia). Increased aggregation (gluing) of platelets leads to blockage of small blood vessels, which is the cause of malnutrition of the embryo and leads to its death.
Also, biochemical pregnancy can occur as a result of replanting a high-quality blastocyst (early stage of embryo development) into the endometrium with insufficient receptive properties. This condition is typical for:
- ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (a pathological condition that develops after the use of hormonal agents in order to stimulate ovulation);
- endometrial hyperplasia (pathological proliferation of the uterine mucosa);
- extremely high concentration of progesterone;
- the presence of concomitant inflammatory diseases.
In order not to lose embryos, the transplant can be performed in another cycle - when the woman's condition returns to normal. In this case, the genetic material is subjected to the cryopreservation process (low-temperature storage of living biological objects with the possibility of restoring their biological functions after thawing).
In most cases, it is impossible to reliably determine the causes of biochemical pregnancy. The doctor can identify the most likely factors that can trigger a spontaneous abortion early in gestation. Many reasons for this phenomenon still remain a mystery to reproductive specialists. This confirms the fact that preclinical abortion often occurs in perfectly healthy women during natural conception.
Clinical picture
A sufficient number of couples face the problem of infertility. IVF is often one of the possible solutions to this problem. By agreeing to this step, the spouses can become parents after 9 months, however, with this form of artificial insemination, there is a risk of biochemical pregnancy. The likelihood of developing such a situation directly depends on the woman's health status and the individual tolerance of the IVF procedure.
Women who do not plan to become a mother in the near future often do not notice her biochemical breakdown. Subjectively, they do not feel any changes before the start of the next menstruation. In turn, women planning a pregnancy listen to themselves more attentively, so all sorts of deviations cause them questions.
Biochemical pregnancy symptoms:
- delayed menstruation;
- uncharacteristic abundance of discharge or monthly "lump";
- intense painful sensations.
In most cases, biochemical pregnancy is a reason for a comprehensive examination of a woman, although quite often this phenomenon is isolated and does not leave serious consequences.
You will learn more about the features of biochemical pregnancy by watching the following video.
Treatment
Biochemical pregnancy during in vitro fertilization is not a disease, so there is no need to treat it. This condition can be called a consequence of any violations in the woman's body, which at this stage must be identified and eliminated before entering the IVF protocol again.
Successful IVF after biochemical pregnancy is possible, but only if the cause of the problem can be eliminated. Correct examination and treatment will help increase the chance of pregnancy on your next IVF attempt.
When to start planning
A routine pregnancy after a biochemical failure has occurred may be detected soon. The likelihood of a positive bearing of the baby in this case is quite high. Early spontaneous abortion is not a cause of complications that can affect a woman's reproductive function. From this we can conclude that there is no need to postpone a long-awaited pregnancy for a long time.
