Blighted ovum: What causes it?

Q.	What causes a blighted ovum? Amber / Arkansas see response Mayo Clinic obstetrician and gynecologist Roger Harms, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

All Pregnancy Q&As:

• Abnormal sperm morphology: What does it mean?
• Air travel during pregnancy: Is it safe?
• Allergy medications during pregnancy: Are they safe?
• Ankle swelling during pregnancy: Is it a concern?
• Antibiotics and pregnancy



• Aspirin during pregnancy: Is it safe?
• Back labor: What are the symptoms?
• Birth control pills: Harmful in early pregnancy?
• Birth control: Can pre-ejaculation fluid cause pregnancy?
• Blighted ovum: What causes it?



• Breast-feeding while pregnant: Is it safe?
• Chickenpox and pregnancy: What are the concerns?
• Constipation during pregnancy: Are stool softeners safe?
• Dilation and curettage (D and C)
• Early miscarriage: Is stress a factor?



• Exercise during pregnancy: Is heart rate a concern?
• Fallopian tubes: Is pregnancy possible with only one?
• Fertility herbs and supplements: Do they enhance fertility?
• Flu shot in pregnancy: Is it safe?
• Freezing eggs: An option for future pregnancies?



• Fundal height: An accurate indicator of fetal growth?
• Hair dye and pregnancy: A concern?
• Headaches during pregnancy: What can I do about them?
• Hemorrhoids during pregnancy: Are there safe treatments?
• Hypothyroidism and infertility: Any connection?



• Lactation suppression: Can medication help?
• Low amniotic fluid: Should I worry?
• Lower back tattoo: Can it prevent an epidural for labor pain?
• Molar pregnancy: What causes it?
• Morning sickness: When is it a concern?



• Ovulation signs and symptoms: When am I most fertile?
• Postpartum preeclampsia: What causes it?
• Rh factor in pregnancy: When is it a problem?
• Sperm: How long do they live after ejaculation?
• Tilted cervix: Can it hinder pregnancy?



• Vaccines during pregnancy: Are they safe?

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