For some of you, the words “Biochemical Pregnancy” might hit home, as you have experienced one (or more). For many others, you may have just thought to yourself, “What is a biochemical pregnancy?” Unfortunately, it is a term that many people are not familiar with...until they experience one.
The goal of this Top Take-Away is to shed some light on biochemical pregnancies and discuss how early detection pregnancy tests are contributing to more women being aware that they have experienced a very early loss.
An article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research examined biochemical pregnancies during assisted conception (e.g., In vitro fertilization). Although this article focused on the occurrence of biochemical pregnancies during assisted conception, it highlights important statistics regarding chemical pregnancies in general that we feel every woman should know.
Biochemical pregnancy is also referred to as a “chemical pregnancy,” “pre-clinical embryo loss,” and “trophoblast in regression” in the medical literature. The term that we are most familiar with is chemical pregnancy. In a chemical pregnancy, conception occurs (i.e., the sperm fertilizes the egg), and the body begins producing enough beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) to be detected by pregnancy tests, which leads to a “positive” result. However, the β-hCG level is not maintained because implantation either does not occur, or is unsuccessful.
What is the difference between a chemical pregnancy and a clinical pregnancy?
A chemical pregnancy, as mentioned above, produces a positive pregnancy test, but is unable to be detected or confirmed by an ultrasound. So, it is only detected chemically (with a positive pregnancy test), hence the name chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy does not progress to a clinical pregnancy, which produces a positive pregnancy test and has reached the stage where it can be detected with an ultrasound.
Is this just a false positive pregnancy test?
While a false positive pregnancy test is always possible, when a chemical pregnancy occurs, it is not a false positive. If you have had a chemical pregnancy, you were indeed pregnant--conception occurred. It is considered to be a very early pregnancy loss according to Annan, Gudi, Bhide, Shah, and Homburg (2013).
How common are chemical pregnancies?
In non-assisted pregnancies, or what the authors refer to as spontaneous pregnancies, chemical pregnancies occur quite frequently and more often than most people realize--approximately half of all pregnancies. This number could be underestimated, as many women experience a chemical pregnancy without knowing that one has occured. In fact, as many as 25% of chemical pregnancies occur before a woman has any indication that she is even pregnant (i.e., a missed period, pregnancy symptoms). However, more women are aware of chemical pregnancies today due to the sensitivity of early detection pregnancy tests, which can detect β-hCG in one’s urine several days before the woman’s period is due.
When early detection pregnancy tests went on the market, they seemed like the best invention to women who were trying to conceive. Days can feel like months when you are waiting for the “right time” when you can take a test. But, when a woman is trying to conceive, and testing early and repeatedly in anticipation of being pregnant, there is an increased chance that she will be aware of a very early loss (should one occur) that she wouldn’t otherwise be aware of were it not for the sensitivity of early detection tests. We have to ask ourselves...is it worth the risk of being aware of a chemical pregnancy (and thus experiencing the pain of loss) to have the ability to find out that we are pregnant one week earlier? Is it easier to cope with a negative test or a positive test that turns negative? Even though a chemical pregnancy is a very early loss, it is still a loss, and comes with the disappointment and pain of losing all of the hopes and dreams that a woman has the instant she sees a + sign on the pregnancy test.
However, it is also helpful to note that for women who are experiencing infertility, a chemical pregnancy can actually be a sign of hope. It means that the embryo made it to the blastocyst stage of development and at least attempted to implant. This is an indication that a viable pregnancy could occur in the future.
Annan, J.J.K., Gudi, A., Bhide, P., Shah, A., & Homburg, R. (2013). Biochemical pregnancy
during assisted conception: A little bit pregnant. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research,
5(4), 269-274. doi: 10.4021/jocmr1008w
No comments:
Post a Comment