Abdominal pregnancy is one of the types of ectopic pregnancy and it is a rare complication of ectopic pregnancy. There is no specific reason for this kind of pregnancy.  About 1.5 percents of ectopic pregnancy that occurs in pregnant women is abdominal pregnancy.

When the ovum of a woman is fertilized outside the fallopian tube and the embryo starts to develop in that place and it is known as abdominal pregnancy. Abdominal pregnancy does not have many symptoms and it is the common type of ectopic pregnancy next to tubal pregnancy. The abdominal pregnancy is further divided into two categories namely primary and secondary abdominal pregnancies. Primary abdominal pregnancy is nothing but the fertilization of egg in the organ of abdominal region and the secondary abdominal pregnancy refers to the growth of embryo in the abdomen even after the birth.

The embryo which stays in the abdomen after the birth seems to be alive until it is taken out. The secondary abdominal pregnancies are very rare and they will damage the tube after the delivery. It is a life threatening condition and it is very difficult to differentiate from other pregnancy.

The symptoms of abdominal pregnancy are same as the tubal pregnancy in the first trimester whereas in the second and third trimester the symptom varies and it can be easily diagnosed. The position of fetus becomes abnormal and the cervix of uterine are displaced in the second and third trimester of abdominal pregnancy. The abdominal pregnancy cannot be delivered through the vaginal region and the fetus can be taken out only by surgery. Ultrasound is most common test to diagnose abdominal pregnancy.

In some cases the MRI scan is used to diagnose the abdominal pregnancy and it helps to display the relationship between the fetus and cervix. The abdominal pregnancies are not harmful but some time it may develop as serious problem. Abdominal pain during pregnancy is one of the signs of abdominal pregnancy but sometimes it may include the disease such as stomach virus, food poison, appendix or formation of stone in kidney.

According to the estimation of pregnancy among 10,000 pregnancies 1 will be abdominal pregnancy. The risk factors of abdominal pregnancy are same as the general type of ectopic pregnancy. Abdominal pregnancy may result in abortion in its earlier stage as tubal or other form of ectopic pregnancy. The formation of fertilization within 20 weeks in the abdomen is considered as early stage of abdominal pregnancy.