Can fetal heartbeat disappear and reappear? Your baby’s heartbeat is one thing to look forward to as an expectant mother. It is an exciting milestone and its presence is one of the most important indicators of a healthy pregnancy.
However, there may be instances where the fetal heartbeat is not detectable or disappears altogether, leaving parents worried and uncertain and asking questions like, can a fetal heartbeat disappear and reappear?
What is A Fetal Heartbeat?
After finding out you are having a baby, one of the first things your doctor would do is to schedule an early pregnancy ultrasound scan.
During this scan, your doctor would check to confirm a viable pregnancy and a non-viable molar or ectopic pregnancy, assess abnormal gestation and also, and also confirm the fetal heartbeat.
A fetal heartbeat is a cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac.
It is the recurring beating of a fetus’ heart and its detection and monitoring are crucial indicators of a healthy pregnancy.
This is one of the first signs of a developing baby and can be reassuring for an expectant mother.
During prenatal care, a doctor will use ultrasound to check for the presence of a fetal heartbeat and monitor its development.
It can first be detected by a vaginal ultrasound as early as five and a half weeks to six weeks after gestation.
That is the first visible sign of a developing embryo and that your pregnancy is going as it should.
Six and a half and seven weeks into your pregnancy is when a heartbeat can better be assessed and your baby’s heartbeat at six to seven weeks should be between 90-110 beats per minute (bpm). It should reach 140-170 bpm by the ninth week.
Can Fetal Heartbeat Disappear And Reappear?
can fetal heartbeat disappear and reappear? Yes, it can – even though it is rare.
In some cases, a fetal heartbeat may appear and disappear, raising concerns about the health of the pregnancy. At your first ultrasound, you might miss the fetal heartbeat but not to worry, as this is common when the pregnancy is at its early stage.
Detecting a fetal heartbeat with the human ear is very challenging, if not impossible so your doctor or ultrasound technician will use a transvaginal ultrasound or a 2D or 3D abdominal ultrasound.
An ultrasound is a common tool used to detect and monitor fetal heartbeat during pregnancy. It uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the uterus and fetus inside.
During an ultrasound, the sonographer will typically apply a clear gel to the mother’s abdomen and use a handheld device called a transducer to send and receive sound waves.
The sonographer can then observe the fetal heart, measure the fetus’ size, and assess the well-being of the fetus.
This phenomenon can be due to a variety of factors, including a miscarriage, a problem with the pregnancy, or an error in the measurement. If the fetal heartbeat has not appeared, your doctor would check for fetal measurements and they have reasons for concern if there is no fetal heartbeat in an embryo with a crown-rump length greater than five meters.
Your doctor might schedule another ultrasound a week or two later to confirm this. There is also a problem if after week, six, there is no presence of the gestational sac.
Regular prenatal care and monitoring of fetal heartbeat are crucial to ensuring a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery.
Reasons Why The Fetal Heartbeat Has Disappeared
The fetal heartbeat can play hide and seek on ultrasound,
this is called ‘random disappearance of fetal heartbeat’ and it can be due to different reasons:
- Placenta interfering with scan: This is when the placenta is growing in front of the uterus and it can make the fetal heartbeat disappear and appear. The placenta can interfere with the scan, making it difficult for the doctor to detect a fetal heartbeat. In this case,
- Rapid movement of the fetus: rapid movement of the fetus can sometimes make it hard to detect the fetal heartbeat during an ultrasound. The movement of the fetus can cause the ultrasound beam to miss the heart or produce an unclear image.
- Gestational age: This refers to the length of time a pregnancy has lasted, calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period. If your pregnancy is less than seven weeks, detecting a fetal heartbeat is unlikely.
- Position of the fetus: This is the orientation of the fetus within the uterus. It can interfere with the fetal heartbeat.
In other cases, a reappearing fetal heartbeat may indicate that the pregnancy is healthy and continuing as expected.
A fetal heartbeat might also disappear due to the baby’s heart rhythm such as an irregular heartbeat which can be caused by genetic abnormalities. Also, a ruptured membrane which is a common condition in early pregnancies can make a fetal heartbeat disappear. The fetal heartbeat can also disappear when the amniotic fluid enters the mother’s circulation and clogs her organs.
The fetal heartbeat disappearing during your pregnancy might not mean your baby’s heart is not beating.
Your doctor should do a thorough check and then make appropriate recommendations.
A fetal heartbeat appearing and disappearing could be a symptom of abnormalities and it is important to rule out any serious health concerns.
What Happens When Fetal Heartbeat Does Not Reappear?
If a fetal heartbeat does not reappear, it may be because:
- Miscarriage: A disappearance of a fetal heartbeat is often a sign of a miscarriage,
- which is the loss of pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation.
- Fetal Anomalies: certain fetal anomalies such as chromosomal abnormalities or structural defects can cause the fetal heartbeat to stop.
- Fetal growth restriction: In some cases,
- disappearance of the fetal heartbeat may be a sign of fetal growth restriction, a condition in which the fetus is not growing as expected.
Missed Miscarriage
A missed miscarriage, also known as silent miscarriage is a type of pregnancy loss in which a fetus has died but the pregnancy tissue has not been expelled from the body.
These are what you should know about a missed miscarriage:
- Symptoms: A missed miscarriage may not cause any symptoms but in some cases, a woman may experience vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain.
- Diagnosis: A missed miscarriage may be diagnosed through an ultrasound which can show the fetus has stopped growing or if there is no longer a fetal heartbeat.
It is important to remember that every woman’s experience with a missed miscarriage is unique and a doctor can provide more information and support for a woman who has experienced this type of loss.
If you or someone you know has experienced a missed miscarriage, here are tips to help in coping with this loss.
- Seek support: Talk, to friends, family, or a support group about your feelings. If you need additional support, consider seeking help from a professional.
- Allow yourself to grieve: It is normal to feel a range of emotions after a miscarriage, including sadness, anger, and guilt. Allow yourself to feel and express these emotions in a way that feel comfort feels to you.
- Take care of yourself: Pay attention to your physical and emotional needs. Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest.
- Make a plan: if you are able, work with your healthcare provider to decide how you would like to manage the miscarriage. You may need a surgical procedure or medication to remove the pregnancy tissue, or it may pass on its own.
Everyone heals differently and there is no right or wrong way to cope with a missed miscarriage. Be gentle with yourself and give yourself the time and space you need to heal and move forward.
Wrapping Up
The appearance or disappearance of a fetal heartbeat can be a crucial indicator of the health and well-being of the fetus. While a heartbeat may be detectable early in pregnancy, various factors can present, including the gestational age, the position of the fetus, and underlying medical conditions. With the proper care and monitoring, many women are able touchy and successful pregnancies.
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