Women with bleeding in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy: value of general practice ultrasound in detecting fetal heart movement.

Abstract

If fetal heart movement is detected at the initial scan, approximately 19 out of every 20 viable pregnancies (those in which the fetus appears normal) will not miscarry before the 20th week. Using ultrasound in general practice it was possible to identify promptly those women with bleeding whose fetus was alive. For those women found to have a non-viable pregnancy, appropriate arrangements could be made at an early stage in the knowledge that a miscarriage was inevitable, thus avoiding unnecessary bed rest for the patient. Where fetal heart movement was detected, there was a good prognosis and thus women could be given strong reassurance.