A Washington woman recently shared her story of how she abruptly lost her baby due to a condition known as ectopic pregnancy.
Lila McDermid told People: "We found out about the pregnancy in December and then had the loss in January [2016]."
McDermid, who is now a mother of two, says that the experience altered her view of pregnancy. It made her realize how special and delicate pregnancy is.
According to American Pregnancy Association, ectopic pregnancy is a condition in which the fertilized egg attaches itself anywhere other than the uterus. In most cases, the egg attaches to the fallopian tube and are called tubal pregnancies. An ectopic pregnancy happens in 1 out of 50 pregnancies.
Causes of ectopic pregnancy
The cause of an ectopic pregnancy is not always clear. However, in some case, it had been linked to conditions such as infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube from any previous infection or medical condition a surgery, hormonal factors, genetic abnormalities or birth defects.
Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy
In case of ectopic pregnancy, nausea and breast soreness are common symptoms, according to Healthline. Other signs and symptoms include, severe pain occurring on one side of the abdomen, pelvis, shoulder, or neck, light to heavy vaginal bleeding and dizziness.
If someone's pregnant and faces any of the above symptoms, she should immediately visit the doctor.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for an ectopic pregnancy include late pregnancy (35-44 years), previous pelvic or abdominal surgery, conception aided by fertility drugs or procedures, previous ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), induced abortions, smoking and various other reasons.
Treatment
Depending on the condition of the patient medical or surgical treatment is suggested by the doctors.
