Sexual Health | Gynaecology for GUM | Bleeding problems in early pregnancy

Bleeding problems in early pregnancy
Session overview
Description
This session will look at the common causes of bleeding in the 1st trimester of pregnancy.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• identify the common causes of bleeding in pregnancy
• recognise how each condition might present
• identify how each condition could be investigated
• determine the management options for each condition

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should have read:

• Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. Green-top Guideline No. 21. Diagnosis and Management of Ectopic Pregnancy. London: RCOG, 2016. View website
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NG126. Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management. London: NICE, 2019. Last updated: 24 November 2021. View website

Bleeding in pregnancy can be caused by benign and non-benign conditions.

This session will look at the common causes of bleeding in the 1st trimester of pregnancy (from week 0 to week 12) (Figure 1).

Bleeding in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy affects at least a third of all pregnancies.

Bleeding can arise from the site of implantation or from other areas of the genital tract.

Pathological causes of bleeding including spontaneous miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and trophoblastic disease will be discussed.

There is an opportunity to test your learning at the end of the session.