When the tubes of a woman are either blocked or damaged then the fertilised ova does not go to the uterus but attaches itself to the walls of the fallopian tube and starts developing there. Ectopic pregnancies or tubal pregnancies as they are also called are those where the fertilised egg fails to reach the uterus but attaches itself to a place outside the uterus and starts developing there. Though the fertilised egg in and ectopic pregnancy normally attaches itself to the fallopian tubes only, there have been cases where they have implanted themselves in some organ in the pelvis, or the cervix or one of the ovaries.

Statistics of ectopic pregnancies
Statistics show that in every 200 pregnancies at least one of them will be an ectopic pregnancy. If a woman has an ectopic pregnancy once there are good chances of her having repeated ectopic pregnancies an the chances of her having a normal one are very limited. At least one third of such women will also have a problem conceiving again.

Symptoms of ectopic pregnancies
The early signs of an ectopic pregnancy will be the same as that of a normal one, however, there could be also be other symptoms once the pregnancy develops a little more. Some of these symptoms are pain on one side of the abdomen, throbbing that lasts for a long time in the abdomen, fainting fits, pain in the lower abdomen, and vaginal bleeding. A very pointed sign is pain in the shoulder when lying down.

The doctor will also be able to tell an ectopic pregnancy when he performs a physical examination and finds that the uterus is smaller than it should be and that there is a swelling which will be tender on the side where the ectopic pregnancy is. Sometimes if the pregnancy develops further in the fallopian tube it may rupture and this causes severe anguish to the woman. She feel dizzy with fainting spells, have a weak racing pulse and go into a state of shock.


When is ectopic pregnancy discovered ?
Ectopic pregnancies can be discovered as early as the fourth week, but sometimes may not be visible until the second month of the pregnancy is over. However, it can also go un noticed until an ultra sound scan is performed during the third trimester of the pregnancy.

The risk factors involved
There is a possibility of an early ectopic pregnancy in some women. If the woman has had some kind of a surgery and if there is an inflammation of the falopian tube, then there is a risk of having an ectopic pregnancy. As the lining of the tubes is very delicate there could be a problem with the egg moving into the uterus and instead gets implanted in the wrong place. This could also be possible if the woman is on any kind of contraceptive medication or gets impregnated by in vitro fertilisation.