Molar Pregnancy: How much do you know?

What is Molar Pregnancy?

This is a type of abnormal pregnancy that occurs when tissue that normally should become a fetus after fertilization fails to do so and instead becomes an abnormal growth in the uterus and though it is not a true embryo, it still triggers the symptoms of pregnancy.

Incidence: About 1 out of every 1,500 women come down with this.

Cause of Molar pregnacy
Molar pregnacy is thought to be caused by a problem in the genetic information of the egg or sperm.

Types of Molar Pregnancy.

1. Complete Molar Pregnancy:

- An egg with no genetic information fertilized by a sperm.

- The product of such fertilization grows into a lump of tissue in the uterine cavity.

- As the tissue grows it assumes a 'grape cluster-like' appearance.

- It grows till it fills the whole of the uterine cavity.

2. Partial Molar Pregnancy.

- An egg is fertilized by two sperms or by a sperm that divides and gives 46 chromosome instead of the normal 23 and the fetus ends up with 63 chromosomes including that from the mother.

- The placental tissue becomes the molar growth.

- The fetus formed suffers severe defects and likely to die intra-uterine.

Risk Factors.

1. Age: Most likely to occur in women below 20 and those above 35.
2. Previous history of molar pregnancy.
3. A diet low in carotene (A form of Vitamin A).

Symptoms and signs.

- Causes the same early symptoms in a normal pregnancy brings such as missed periods, or morning sickness.

- Other symptoms which are specific to molar pregnancy includes;
* Bleeding through the vagina
* Rapidly growing uterus not corresponding to the age of the pregnancy.
* Severe nausea and vomiting.
* Signs of an over-reactive thyroid eg, tiredness, nervousness, increased heartbeats, profuse sweating.
* Vaginal discharge of grape-like cluster tissues.

How is it Diagnosed?

- Through pelvic examination.
- Through ultrasound
- By checking the HCG levels which is usually abnormally high in molar pregnancies.
( HCG is simply the hormone that is produced when a woman is pregnant. It is the confirmatory test for a pregnancy).

Any time you notice any of the above
symptoms kindly visit your health care facility for proper check up and diagnosis.

Lastly know this, molar pregnancy has nothing to do with anything you did or did not do right.

So don't get overly worried when it happens and begin to blame yourself or your partner.

Credits: mayoclinic.org
: WebMD.com
Photos: Pinterest

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