Pregnancy is hard enough without the influence of all the scary things that could go wrong. Today, Parents Ask expert Dr. Jason Rothbart discusses ectopic pregnancies and what you need to know.

Q:  I'm very early in my pregnancy and I'm nervous that the pains I'm having aren't normal. How would I know if I am having an ectopic pregnancy? What are the symptoms? Does it happen at a certain time in pregnancy? Would it affect future fertility?



One of the first early reassuring signs in a pregnancy is confirmation that the pregnancy is in fact in the uterus, and not in the fallopian tube, which would be an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs in about 3% of all pregnancies.  Ectopic pregnancy is confirmed by a positive pregnancy test with an empty uterus and/or a mass seen in the fallopian tube on ultrasound. If it is too early to see the pregnancy on ultrasound, an ectopic pregnancy can be confirmed by the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonatotropin (hcg), rising slower than normal.

The signs of an ectopic pregnancy are abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and a positive pregnancy test ( or even just a missed period.) If a woman of reproductive age ever has moderate to severe abdominal pain, especially one-sided, ectopic pregnancy has to be ruled out, always. Risk factors for ectopic pregnancy include history of a previous ectopic pregnancy, previous tubal surgery, history of chlamyida or pelvic inflammatory disease, multiple sexual partners, and smoking. Today, we try to treat ectopic pregnancies with tube-sparing medications and minimal surgeries, though surgery to remove the damaged tube is still sometimes necessary.

Though women with a history of one ectopic pregnancy are at a slightly higher risk of recurrance, future fertility is still very successful. And even if one of the fallopian tubes is removed completely (salpingectomy) due to ectopic pregnancy, the conception rate is exactly the same with one tube as it is for two.

SEE ALSO:

-Is Spotting During Pregnancy Normal?

-How Can I Treat Nausea in Pregnancy?

-Am I Predisposed to Post-Partem Depression?