An ectopic pregnancy is a type of pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus, mostly in a fallopian tube, which is responsible for carrying eggs from the ovaries to the uterus.
Another common name for an ectopic pregnancy is tubal pregnancy.
About 2 percent of all pregnancies are ectopic pregnancy. Likewise, estimates suggest that 1 in 40 pregnancies result in an ectopic. So what aspects lead to this type of pregnancy?
Is Ectopic Pregnancy Common In IVF?
Can IVF lead to ectopic pregnancy? Is Ectopic Pregnancy Common In IVF?
The rate of ectopic pregnancy after IVF is higher than natural conception. It’s estimated to be between 2.1% and 8.6% in IVF pregnancies, while it’s around 2% in natural pregnancies.(Source: ResearchGate)
IVF increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy due to:
- Embryo Transfer: Improper transfer can lead to embryos implanting in the fallopian tubes.
- Existing Conditions: Issues like pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis can damage fallopian tubes.
- Multiple Embryos: Transferring more embryos increases the chances of ectopic implantation.
- Hormonal Changes: IVF hormonal treatments may affect fallopian tube function.
- Tubal Surgery: Previous tubal surgeries can lead to a higher risk of ectopic pregnancies.
- Age and Health: Older age and certain health conditions also contribute to the risk.
While the risk of ectopic pregnancy is higher in women who undergo IVF compared to those who conceive naturally, it remains relatively low overall.
It’s essential for individuals undergoing IVF to discuss the potential risks with their healthcare provider to understand their specific situation better.
Causes Of Ectopic Pregnancy
- Previous ectopic pregnancy: If a female previously experienced ectopic pregnancy, the chances for another to occur are higher and with more probability.
- Fertility treatments: As sketched above, fertility treatments such as IVF or other forms of treatments amplify the chances of facing an ectopic pregnancy.
- Tubal surgery: If a female at any point in her life proceeded for surgery to correct a closed or damaged fallopian tube, the risk of contracting an ectopic pregnancy heightens.
- Inflammation or STIs: Gonorrhea and chlamydia are sexually transmitted infections that can lead to inflammation in the tubes or other organs related to the reproductive system. This ultimately multiplies the chances of an ectopic pregnancy occurring.
- Alcohol and smoking: Alcohol and smoking are body-harming substances that reluctantly degrade reproductive health. The more the consumption, the greater the level of ectopic pregnancy risk associated.
Prevention Of Ectopic Pregnancy
There aren’t any actual preventive measures to take to prevent ectopic pregnancy, however, there are methods to decrease the risks:
- Reducing the number of sexual partners and sticking to an individual partner reduces the chances of contraction of sexually transmitted infections and diseases which are causative agents of ectopic pregnancy.
- Maintain a healthy weight as obesity can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Avoiding habits of smoking and drinking.
- Healthy lifestyle choices before planning a baby and throughout the pregnancy.
What After An Ectopic Pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy causes distressing physical and mental trauma to females. The loss of hope in motherhood may be extremely challenging to deal with and hence physical and psychological support is crucial.
Physical Recovery:
- For some females, as the ectopic pregnancy subsides, the body begins the recovery process on its own without much side effects.
- Some females, require medications to heal in the right way due to complications in ectopic pregnancy
- A healthy diet and physical wellbeing result in active recovery and women can return to everyday chores and work in about 2 weeks after the surgery.
Mental Recovery:
- Mental recovery is tough and even though the body has recovered the trauma might prevail termed “emotional trauma”
- A large number of women pass through severe grief, feelings of unworthiness, and sadness, and an emotional counselor steps in as crucial to slowly and gradually eliminate these intense emotions.
- Self-healing is another wonderful tool to emphasize. Exercising, acquiring quality sleep, wonderful nutrition, yoga, and meditation practices are all the brilliant healing potions a woman can gift herself
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