- What to do in case of suspicion
- How to prevent an abortion
- Types of abortion
- What happens after abortion
The signs and symptoms of spontaneous abortion can appear in any pregnant woman up to 20 weeks of gestation. The main symptoms of a miscarriage are:
- Fever and chills; Smelly vaginal discharge; Blood loss through the vagina, which can start with a brownish color; Severe abdominal pain, like intense menstrual cramps; Loss of fluids through the vagina, with or without pain; Loss of blood clots through the vagina; severe or constant headache; absence of fetal movements for more than 5 hours.
Some situations that can lead to spontaneous abortion, that is, that can start overnight, without an apparent cause, include fetal malformation, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages or drugs, trauma in the abdominal region, infections and diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, when these are not properly controlled during pregnancy. See 10 Causes of Miscarriage.
What to do in case of suspicion
In case of suspected abortion, what you should do is go to the hospital as soon as possible and explain the symptoms you are having to the doctor. The doctor should order some tests to check that the baby is well and, if necessary, indicate the appropriate treatment that can include the use of medication and absolute rest.
How to prevent an abortion
The prevention of abortion can be done through some measures, such as, for example, not drinking alcoholic beverages and avoiding taking any kind of medication without the doctor's knowledge. Know the remedies that can cause miscarriage;
In addition, the pregnant woman should only practice light or moderate physical exercises or specially indicated for pregnant women and perform prenatal care, attending all consultations and performing all the requested tests.
Some women have greater difficulty in carrying the pregnancy through to the end and are at greater risk of having an abortion and, therefore, must be followed up weekly by the doctor.
Types of abortion
Spontaneous abortion can be classified as being early, when the loss of the fetus occurs before the 12th week of gestation or late, when the loss of the fetus occurs between the 12th and 20th week of pregnancy. In some cases, it may be induced by a doctor, usually for therapeutic reasons.
When an abortion occurs, the expulsion of the uterine content may occur in its entirety, may not occur or may not occur at all, and may be classified as follows:
- Incomplete - when only part of the uterine content is expelled or there is a rupture of the membranes, Complete - when all the uterine content is expelled; Retained - when the fetus is retained dead in the uterus for 4 weeks or more.
Abortion is prohibited in Brazil and only women who can prove in court that they have a fetus that will not be able to survive outside the womb, as can happen in case of anencephaly - a genetic alteration where the fetus has no brain - will be able to resort to abortion legally.
Other situations that can be assessed by the judge are when the pregnancy is the result of sexual abuse or when it puts the woman's life at risk. In these cases, the decision can be agreed with the Brazilian Supreme Court by the ADPF 54, voted in 2012, which in this case describes the practice of abortion as being an "early delivery for therapeutic purpose". With the exception of these situations, abortion in Brazil is a crime and is punishable by law.
What happens after abortion
After the abortion, the woman must be analyzed by the doctor, who checks if there are still traces of the embryo inside the uterus and, if this happens, a curettage should be performed.
In some cases, the doctor may recommend medications that cause the expulsion of embryonic remains or may perform surgery to remove the fetus immediately. Also see what can happen after a miscarriage.
