What Causes Spotting And Cramping During Pregnancy?

Hi, Bleeding in early pregnancy can be due to many reasons. There can be a small number of spots associated with the normal implantation of the embryo (fetus) into the uterine wall, called implantation bleeding. This is usually very minimal, but frequently occurs on or about the same day as your period was due. This is a normal part of pregnancy and no cause for concern. But before assuming this as the cause of bleeding, other important and more serious causes have to be ruled out. These include threatened abortion, ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus), blighted ovum, missed abortion (due to silent fetal demise), molar pregnancy (where vesicles are seen instead of viable fetal tissue) or bleeding unrelated to pregnancy which can be due genital infections or trauma. All these present with one common symptom of bleeding. Abortion would generally present with pain and cramps in abdomen. Ultrasound is a must in every case where bleeding occurs in first trimester and it helps rule out serious causes of bleeding. This is because most of these conditions have similar presentation though pain, fainting attacks, the passage of vesicular tissue or heavy bleeding indicate that it is a serious cause and needs urgent attention. I would like to know if your wife has any of these. Coming to the medications, susten is a progesterone hormone containing tablet. It helps support early pregnancy and relaxes the uterus. It is used in cases of threatened abortion. It s not harmful in any way to your baby through 100% effectiveness in preventing a miscarriage is yet to be proved. The other drug you have mentioned is HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) injection. Sometime enough HCG (main pregnancy hormone) is not produced in pregnancy which can result in a miscarriage. In this case, a synthetic HCG injection is given to protect the pregnancy. Both of these drugs provide support to your pregnancy but they do not guarantee 100% protection from miscarriage. There is no side effect on the baby. You can continue with these medications but do get an ultrasound in case you have not got one yet. Also keep taking folic acid tablet which is a vitamin essential in the first 3 months of pregnancy. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Ivan R. Rommstein, General Surgeon