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A miscarriage that occurs shortly after implantation, before a fetus starts to develop, is referred to as a chemical pregnancy. Despite it being early in the pregnancy, it can be a very emotional experience. “A chemical pregnancy is a very early pregnancy, typically before five weeks, where a pregnancy test is positive but the pregnancy does not continue to develop,” said Jill Purdie, M.D., a board-certified OBGYN and the medical director at Northside Women’s Specialists, part of Pediatrix® Medical Group.
With a chemical pregnancy, both a urine or blood pregnancy test will initially be positive, but they will soon become negative because the pregnancy does not continue and no fetus is being developed, explained Dr. Purdie. “The egg is fertilized, an embryo develops and may implant in the uterus, but a fetus does not develop,” she said. “With a chemical pregnancy, there is no development to the point where the pregnancy can be recognized on an ultrasound.”
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