ABSTRACT
Introduction Early pregnancy loss before 12 weeks’ gestation is a common event that causes a great deal of distress to women and their partners alike. Approximately one in five pregnancies will end in pregnancy loss which represents a considerable burden on individuals as well as the health care providers. Recent guidance clearly sets standards for health
care at the time of diagnosis and management of early pregnancy complications. The core standard should be that all patients are assessed and managed within an early pregnancy unit (EPU).1,2
As miscarriage causes such strong emotional reaction, it is apparent that the great majority of sufferers clearly remember the event process leading up to loss. Most early pregnancy complications will have undergone ultrasound scan assessment. Many women recall precise details of ultrasound findings before or at the time of diagnosis. As a consequence there is a need to improve our description of early pregnancy events so that care providers and patients understand each other and use the same language to describe these findings. Upon this basis and using a pragmatic approach an attempt to replace old and misunderstood terms like “blighted ovum” has been made.
