Fetal pole is a thick spot near what is called a yolk sack (which nourishes the embryo), and is used to detect the earliest signs of a baby (early in a pregnancy)when an ultrasound is done. This is before the baby has formed a recognizable human shape (in the first 10 weeks). By using the ultrasound, the fetal pole becomes visible around 6 weeks after conception. Sometimes, unfortunately, things go wrong during those early weeks, and the main abnormalities are usually loss of the fetal heartbeat, or no existing yolk sack, or a blockage. Also, there have been times when this has to be repeated again, because the heartbeat of the embryo may be too faint to detect. I am so very sorry to hear that this was the diagnosis for your daughter, and I hope that she will be all right.