The placenta is a wonderful organ that provides necessary nutrients to a fetus while in utero. It is susceptible to a variety of problems, however, and the one of the most serious is placental abruption.
[From Wikipedia :placental abruption (also known as abruptio placentae) is an obstetric catastrophe (complication of pregnancy), wherein the placental lining has separated from the uterusmother. It is the most common cause of late pregnancy bleeding. In humans, it refers to the abnormal separation after 20 weeks of gestation and prior to birth.]
- older age of the mother
- history of placental abruption during a previous pregnancy
- high blood pressure
- certain disease states (diabetes, collagen vascular diseases)
- the presence of a type of uterine tumor called a leiomyoma
- twins, triplets, or other multiple pregnancies
- cigarette smoking
- heavy alcohol use
- cocaine use
- malformations of the uterus
- malformations of the placenta
- injury to the abdomen (as might occur in a car accident)
The most common sign of an abruption is bright red bleeding from the vagina. The bleeding can also manifest itself as dark clots. Bleeding may not always occur with an abruption, however, since the blood can pool behind the placenta and not expel through the cervix. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, tightness across the stomach, and tenderness of the abdomen or a swift increase in size and appearance of the stomach. An ultrasound may be necessary to identify an abruption correctly.
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