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The doctor cannot find the baby's heartbeat. Should I be concerned?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

My wife is 49 days pregnant. Today we met our doctor. He said that the fetal size is 0.2 inches, but still, there is no heartbeat felt. The doctor asked us to wait for one more week. Is it normal? Please clarify my doubt. My wife is worried about this. This is our second baby.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your doctor has given you the right advice. You are calculating the gestational age as per her last periods. But let me tell you that you can never predict when her ovulation was. There are two possibilities:

1. Either the baby is still small and yet to grow to the size at which the heartbeat is seen. So, by waiting for seven to 10 days, the baby may grow and will have a heartbeat on the scan. This does not mean the baby has a problem.

2. Or the baby's size is smaller than the scan machine's sensitivity.

Unless the baby's heartbeat is seen, we cannot say it is healthy. So just wait and pray well. If the baby is not healthy, the next scan will show the baby smaller than the previous one, and the heartbeat will not be seen.

Hope I have clarified your query. Do write back if any more queries.

All the best.

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team

Published At May 15, 2018
Reviewed AtJanuary 18, 2024

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