The scan picture shows a pregnancy sac with a baby (or fetus or embryo) inside, but there is no heartbeat and the pregnancy looks smaller than it should be at this stage. You may have had little or no sign that anything was wrong and you may still feel pregnant. You might still have a positive pregnancy test.

Can a fetus still grow if there is no heartbeat?

This is called an anembryonic pregnancy, which is also known as a blighted ovum. Or it may be that your baby started to grow, but then stopped growing and they have no heartbeat. Occasionally it happens beyond the first few weeks, perhaps at eight weeks or 10 weeks, or even further on.

How long after no heartbeat will you miscarry?

If it is an incomplete miscarriage (where some but not all pregnancy tissue has passed) it will often happen within days, but for a missed miscarriage (where the fetus or embryo has stopped growing but no tissue has passed) it might take as long as three to four weeks.