If the pregnancy is normally intrauterine, it may happen that the fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus. We take stock with Anh-Chi Ton, midwife, on the different types of pregnancy.
When the egg meets the sperm and fertilization takes place, the egg implants in theuterus. We are talking about an intrauterine pregnancy. The embryo will then develop and grow there for 9 months, until birth.
It happens in some cases, for reasons that we cannot always identify, that the egg does not implant in the right place. “We speak of an ectopic pregnancy when the pregnancy develops outside the uterus..“, explains the midwife.
These two terms designate the same reality: the implantation of the egg outside the uterus. “No matter where the egg is implanted, we will speak in all cases of ectopic pregnancy“, confirms Anh-Chi Ton. It is estimated that there are 16,000 large ectopic cases in France each year. “These pregnancies cannot progress and expose the woman to serious complications. The fallopian tube may rupture, there may be potentially fatal internal bleeding. This is an emergency that requires quick action.“, adds the midwife.
Depending on where the egg implants, the ectopic pregnancy will be referred to by a different name.
ampullary pregnancy
This is the type of ectopic pregnancy most common, when the egg implants in the ampulla of the fallopian tube. “When the egg is expelled from the ovary, it goes through the fallopian tube into the uterus and the sperm goes up from the uterus to the fallopian tube. Fertilization usually takes place in the fallopian tube, then the fertilized egg must go up to the uterus. Sometimes this path is not made“, explains the midwife.
We speak of ovarian pregnancy when the egg implants on or inside the ovary. This can then break.
We speak of abdominal or peritoneal pregnancy when the fertilized egg implants itself in the peritoneal cavity. These pregnancies are very rare and represent less than 1% of ectopic pregnancies. Several cases of abdominal pregnancy carried to term have been documented throughout the world, but this remains extremely rare.
Cervical pregnancy is another rare form of ectopic pregnancy. This term is used when the fertilized egg implants on the cervix (below the internal os of the cervix) and not inside the uterus.
This type of pregnancy is extremely rare. “We speak of heterotopic pregnancy when there are two pregnancies at the same time: one in the uterus, and the other ectopic.”, explains Anh-Chi Ton, who confides that she has never seen this type of pregnancy during her career.
Thanks to Anh-Chi Ton, midwife