Decidual Bleeding
What is Decidual Bleeding?
Decidual Bleeding is the type of bleeding that a woman has during first three months of the pregnancy and takes about 20% to 30% among pregnant women may experience this.
The partial shedding of the uterine lining is the main characteristic of this condition. It occurs on a portion of the decidua which is not yet greatly involved by a developing placenta and embryo during the first trimester of the pregnancy.
This is similar with the regular menstrual bleeding of women which is the common reason why they miss to realize their chances to be pregnant at the moment, unless other pregnancy symptoms are there.
There is nothing to worry with decidual bleeding since this is harmless, although it is still necessary to inform the physician about it, since in some other way around it might be a bleeding with serious implications that has to be managed at an earlier time.
This is noted with the rise and fall of hormonal levels in a woman’s body that is being disrupted, with periodical shedding of the lining of the uterus.
Signs and Symptoms
A pregnant woman may have some pinkish or brownish vaginal discharges during the first few months of the pregnancy which is not considered hazardous to the life of the mother and her growing fetus, though physicians are to be informed to be sure that it is not really an impending problem in relation to the pregnancy state.
The bleeding discharges come from the decidua, which is an endometrial epithelial tissue or it might be from the uterine innermost lining. This is not a very common situation but when it is observable, it just happens within the earlier period of the pregnancy.
Manifestations are generally the same to a regular cycle of a woman, the very reason why most women may not entertain of any pregnancy to happen, unless it confirmed by positive signs of being pregnant.
What does Decidual Bleeding look like?
Decidual bleeding during a woman’s pregnancy period appears to be a menstruation-like bleeding. There might be an excessive hormonal imbalance in a few cases of pregnant women, which can result to the loss of some parts of the uterine lining taking the form of the decidua.
The characteristic appearance of the discharges is pinkish or brownish in color, which appears to be composed of some odd-looking, fibrous blood clots that a woman passes out.
How long does Decidual Bleeding last?
The decidual bleeding that a pregnant woman may have the chance to have will only take for a day and rarely does it exist to last more than a day. The amount of bloody discharges is usually lesser than that of a regular menstruation. A woman may sense some signs of an uncomfortable sensation, while others may have feelings of pain or heavy sensation.
Causes
Everybody should understand that a first trimester bleeding does not mean a problem at all times. It might just be caused by some changes as a result of a hormonal imbalance in a woman’s body when the uterine lining sheds off like in decidual bleeding.
A woman is having rapid hormonal changes during the early period of the pregnancy when ovulation takes place or when the uterine lining becomes thickened, despite an inseminated egg which is implanted in the uterus.
Bleeding always begin each time there is shedding of the uterine lining. This is the main reason for women to have a pregnancy test; especially those who are presenting some signs of the pregnancy, such nausea and vomiting, increase in size and tenderness felt with the breasts, and rapid weight gain noted.
Patients are always encouraged to inform the physician for any signs of bleeding due to the fact that it might occur as a complication or risk to the pregnancy.
Differential Diagnosis
Diagnosis is done by an attending physician to separate regular menstrual bleeding from decidual bleeding depending on how a woman felt with her body.
Female hormones such as the estrogen, the follicle-stimulating hormone, the luteinizing hormone and the progesterone all play an important role during the menstruation period as they transmit impulses to the reproductive system so that they function accordingly with a normal rhythm of the menstrual cycle.
This monthly period stops once conception occurs and the hormones realign themselves into another function to provide a healthy environment for a growing fetus. A woman with decidual bleeding encounters a certain degree of hormonal imbalance that ends up to the shedding of some portion of the uterine lining and thus, decidual bleeding takes place.
Treatment
The best highly recommended option for a woman with vaginal bleeding is to seek medical consultation for a thorough physical examination and evaluation of symptoms.
There is no specific treatment needed for dedicual bleeding as this causes no harm to both the pregnant woman and the fetus.
References:
http://www.wisegeekhealth.com/what-is-decidual-bleeding.htm
Robert K. Creasy, Robert Resnik, Jay D. Iams (2013). Creasy and Resnik’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice. P.614.
Kurt Benirschke, Graham J. Burton, Rebecca N Baergen (2012). Pathology of the Human Placenta. Page 223.
Hasan, R.; Baird, D. D.; Herring, A. H.; Olshan, A. F.; Jonsson Funk, M. L.; Hartmann, K. E. (2009). “Association Between First-Trimester Vaginal Bleeding and Miscarriage”. Obstetrics & Gynecology 114 (4): 860.