Every prospective parent wants his baby to grow well in the womb so that being born into the world becomes a healthy child. That is why it is important for every prospective mother to routinely check her pregnancy from the beginning to the time of delivery to avoid things that are not desirable. One of them is the fetus does not develop. What are the dangers?
The cause of the fetus does not develop
A non-developing fetus is described as a condition of slow fetal growth aka delayed. In the medical world, delayed fetal growth is known as IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction).
The fetus is said to be IUGR if the baby's growth is not in accordance with gestational age. This slow growth of the fetus indicates the size of the baby is smaller than the average size at the age of the pregnancy. For example, you are already 12 weeks pregnant, but the development and weight of the fetus is still like the age under 12 weeks. As a general description, you can monitor the development of the fetus from weeks 1 to 40 on the HelloSehat page.
The baby may not grow well if he does not get the oxygen and nutrients he needs to develop. The following are the most common causes of fetuses not developing:
Maternal medical condition
Your fetus may be said to be late-developing aka experiencing IUGR if you have heart, kidney, lung, blood clotting disorders, sickle cell anemia, or diabetes. In addition, IUGR can occur in the fetus if you experience preeclampsia during second-trimester pregnancy, chronic hypertension, or both at once.
Placental abnormalities
The placenta is an organ that functions to send nutrients and oxygen to the fetus in the womb. If the placenta is not perfect or its size is too small, this organ cannot function properly. This condition allows the fetus to experience IUGR because it is deficient in nutrients or oxygen so that the fetus does not develop naturally according to age.
- Other factors
- Occurs in twins or more pregnancies
- Consumption of illegal drugs, smoking
Certain infections you have such as toxoplasmosis, rubella, syphilis, or cytomegalovirus (CMV)
What are the consequences if the fetus does not develop?
The delayed growth of the fetus is at risk of experiencing certain problems during pregnancy, labor, and later after birth.
Generally, a developing fetus can be detected at the age of one to three months. If left alone for more than three months, this condition can trigger a miscarriage or the baby dies in the womb. Even so, in some cases, a fetus diagnosed late to develop can still be born with a normal weight.
Therefore, all pregnant women should be examined for risk factors for IUGR. Especially if you have several conditions mentioned above, it is recommended to immediately consult your obstetrician who handles you.
Pay attention to the causes so that when you are pregnant, you can continue to monitor the development of the fetus. The goal is to anticipate if the fetus turns out to have an IUGR condition, it can be immediately handled by the medical team.
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