Hello, and I hope I can help you today. Unfortunately, the likely scenario is not that the fetus is still alive (as it was dead before you took the medication) but that the medication did not work to make you pass the pregnancy. The medication usually prescribed to take for medical abortion, Misoprostol, is commonly prescribed in an inadequate dose to be effective. The recommended recommendations in the US for dosing of Misoprostol can be found at www.misoprostol.org I do suggest you follow up with your doctor to see if you need an additional dose of the medication. But it is unlikely that the original diagnosis of a fetus with no heartbeat was incorrect, rather that you need a stronger dose of medication. I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful. Best wishes, Dr. Brown