Bleeding from the vagina is abnormal at any stage of pregnancy and may be due to many causes. Some are of little or no significance while others are potentially more dangerous. There is no way a pregnant woman can know if bleeding is significant or not, and she must, therefore, report it immediately to her doctor. Similarly she must report an excessive vaginal discharge or any acute abdominal pain.
Types of Abortions
- A threatened abortion is bleeding from the vagina during early pregnancy which may resolve and allow the pregnancy to continue.picture
- Inevitable abortion: A threatened abortion becomes an inevitable abortion when the bleeding continues with strong uterine contractions and it is no longer possible to salvage the pregnancy.
- A complete abortion has occurred when all the products of conception have been expelled from the uterus.
- An incomplete abortion is a condition in which part of the products of conception have been expelled, but some remain within the uterus.
- A missed abortion is said to occur when the pregnancy has become non-viable but the uterus has failed to expel it. This diagnosis is often made with ultrasound scanning.
- Recurrent abortion is miscarriage on three or more occasions.
- Habitual abortion is the term usually reserved for miscarriage on three or more occasions at approximately the same stage of pregnancy and therefore assumed to be for the same reason each time.
