Have you heard of the term anembryonic pregnancy? Learn about what it is, why it happens and how to avoid it.

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What Is a Blighted Ovum

A blighted ovum happens when a fertilised egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, but the embryo does not develop. Cells develop to form the pregnancy sac, but not the embryo itself.

In normal cases, when a woman becomes pregnant, the fertilised egg attaches to the uterine wall. At about five to six weeks of pregnancy, an should be present, together with the gestational sac.

With a blighted ovum, though, the pregnancy sac forms and grows, but the embryo does not develop. That’s why a blighted ovum is also called an .