What is Gestational Triphoplastic Disease GTD?
GTD is a rare complication of pregnancy that occurs in about 1
out of every 200–1000 pregnancies.
It is also called a ‘Molar Pregnancy’.
The most common type of GTD is a
Hydatidiform Mole.
It is not like a mole on your skin. It is just a term used to describe the
abnormal growth of the placenta (that part of the pregnancy that
usually feeds the baby).
The overgrowing placenta produces high levels of pregnancy hormones so the
woman ‘feels’ pregnant and has symptoms of pregnancy.
Sadly, a molar pregnancy is a type of pregnancy loss as the baby either does
not develop at all or develops abnormally and cannot survive.
There are different types of
Hydatidiform Moles
Many pregnancies, possibly 50 to 60 percent,are lost before they can implant,
or within the first three months.
This is called
a miscarriage. Rarely, other problems can arise and molar pregnancy is one of
these.
1- in the case of a Partial Hydatidiform Mole (PHM), the mother’s egg is fertilized by two sperm from the father or the one sperm from the father replicates in the mother’s egg. The baby has three sets of genes instead of two.
The baby may start to develop but it is always abnormal and cannot survive (triploidy).
The placenta grows abnormally in
this type of
pregnancy.
2- In the case of a Complete
Hydatidiform Mole the mother’s egg is empty and is fertilized by two sperm from
the father or the one sperm from the father replicates in the mother’s
egg.
There is no baby and the placenta grows abnormally in this type of pregnancy.
To be continued….