Ovary baby survives against odds
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Who gets it?
Women who have been affected by pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis, women who have had abdominal surgery, used a coil for contraception, or taken the progestogen-only mini pill, but become pregnant anyway.
There may also be an increased among women who take the morning after contraceptive pill to no avail - although this is still unclear.
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A woman in Australia has given birth to a healthy baby girl after a rare full-term ectopic pregnancy.
Against all odds, baby Durga survived despite developing in her mother's ovary instead of her uterus.
Her mother Meera Thangarajah, 34, had shown no signs of abnormality and doctors only realised when they performed a Caesarean section.
Most ectopic pregnancies end in miscarriage or are terminated early because of the risk to the mother.
Just 1-2% of all pregnancies are ectopic, and in 95% of those cases the egg is fertilised in the fallopian tubes on its way to the uterus.
In 0.5% of cases, including this one, the baby grows inside the ovary itself.
Pre-natal scan
Mrs Thangarajah gave birth on Thursday at the Darwin Private Hospital in Australia's Northern Territory.
General manager Robyn Cahill told the Associated Press news agency that mother and baby were both doing well.
Normally, a woman with an ectopic pregnancy would present with severe pain and bleeding in the first few weeks after conception.
But Ms Cahill said Mrs Thangarajah had experienced no symptoms, and the abnormality did not show up on a pre-natal scan.
She said only 1 in 40,000 fertilisations implant in the ovary, and it was unheard of for one of those foetuses grow to full term. But despite those statistics, Durga - meaning Goddess - was born at 38 weeks weighing 6lb 3oz (2.8 kg).
"We're calling it a miracle," Ms Cahill said.
Risk of bleeding
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the odds of survival in such a pregnancy were "no more than one in a million".
Spokeswoman Dr Maggie Blott said: "One that goes to produce a live healthy baby is very unusual.
"There is a great risk in such a pregnancy of bleeding.
"And had it been picked up at six to eight weeks, it would have been removed because of the risk to the mother.
"This type of pregnancy is very rare indeed."
Obstetrician Dr Andrew Miller, who delivered Durga, told AFP news agency that he had not realised there was a problem until he saw the ovary stretched almost to breaking point.
"And you can't believe that the baby, just by normal movement, wouldn't have caused the sac [inside the ovary] to rupture," he said.
"It was so paper thin you could see the baby's hair."
The baby's father, Ravi, told local television that doctors had told him: "You're one of the luckiest men in the world at the moment."
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Ectopic pregnancy
However, one of the most devastating complications is if the embryo starts to grow outside the womb - ectopic pregnancy.
BBC News Online's health team examines the condition, which affects one in every 100 pregnancies.
What is it?
Eggs make their way from the ovaries to the womb through the fallopian tubes, where they may be fertilised by a sperm.
The fertilised egg continues on to the womb, where it implants itself to the wall and continues to grow.
However, sometimes the embryo implants itself outside the womb, most often in the fallopian tubes themselves, and this is known as an ectopic pregnancy.
The embryo can also implant in the ovary, the abdomen, and in the cervix.
What causes it?
Anything that obstructs or slows the movement of eggs can increase the risk.
Infections in the fallopian tubes can leave them scarred, which will hinder movement, or there may be a physical blockage caused by previous surgery or injury.
Hormones - particularly those used in contraceptive pills and devices - can also affect the rate of movement of the egg.
Who gets it?
Women who have been affected by pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis are at higher risk.
So too are women who have had abdominal surgery, used a coil for contraception, or taken the progestogen-only mini pill, but become pregnant anyway.
There may also be an increased among women who take the morning after contraceptive pill to no avail - although this is still unclear.
Women who become pregnant despite having been surgically sterilised have a 60% chance of an ectopic pregnancy.
And women who have had previous ectopic pregnancy, are at greater risk of repeating the experience.
Ectopic pregnancies are on the rise with the rate nearly tripling from 1970 to 1980.
About half are estimated to be due to the increase in sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia.
What are the risks?
With an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo can rupture the fallopian tube, leading to massive internal bleeding - and possibly death - for the mother, and loss of the baby.
If the woman survives this, her fertility is likely to be greatly reduced and her chances of going through the same experience are increased.
What is the treatment?
Because of the life threatening nature of the condition, early diagnosis is essential and doctors recommend terminating the pregnancy.
If the pregnancy is allowed to continue and the tube ruptures, doctors have to remove it, reducing the woman's fertility.
This page contains basic information. If you are concerned about your health, you should consult a doctor.
