The placenta is the link between the mother and the fetus and is an important channel for providing oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.
Before the fetus is delivered normally, the placenta is tightly attached to the uterine wall and will not be separated easily.
If the placenta is peeled off before the fetus has matured, it is a very dangerous situation during pregnancy.
So what are the factors that cause placental abruption? What are the serious consequences of placental abruption? How should we prevent it?
What is placental abruption?
As the name suggests, placental abruption refers to the partial or total removal of the placenta from the uterine wall before the fetus gives birth.
This phenomenon mostly occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy, is a very serious complication in the third trimester, the onset of the disease, the rapid development, once the treatment is not timely will endanger the life of the mother and fetus.
What are the symptoms of placental abruption?
The most typical symptoms of placental abruption are sudden onset of persistent unexplained abdominal pain in the mid- to late-trimester of pregnancy, back pain, or persistent vaginal bleeding.
It should also be noted that there is no bleeding in the vagina during the occult peel, mostly internal bleeding, and blood accumulates between the placenta and the uterine wall.
What are the factors that cause placental abruption?
Disease factors: vascular diseases such as hypertension during pregnancy, severe preeclampsia, chronic kidney disease, metabolic abnormalities of comorbid diabetes, and uterine fibroids, etc., may increase the incidence of placental abruption in the third trimester.
Mechanical factors: the pregnant woman's abdomen is impacted or squeezed, the fetal position is not correct or the umbilical cord is shorter than 30 cm, and the amniotic fluid puncture punctures the blood vessels in the placenta attachment. It is important to note that abdominal injuries are the most common mechanical factors that cause placental abruption.
Sudden loss of intrauterine pressure: during twin delivery, if the first child delivers too quickly, the pressure in the uterine cavity suddenly decreases, and the uterus contracts suddenly, which can cause the placenta to be misaligned with the uterine wall and peel off.
What are the serious consequences of placental abruption?
The consequences of placental abruption depend on the size of the peel surface, and when the peel surface is small, the impact on the fetus and pregnant women is relatively small, and even many patients do not have obvious symptoms. However, when the peel surface is greater than 1/3 or even larger, the situation is very dangerous, and the damage to the fetus and pregnant women is very large.
Fetal intrauterine death: It is well known that the placenta provides oxygen and nutrition for the fetus, and once it is peeled off in advance, it will inevitably cause insufficient fetal blood supply, resulting in fetal hypoxia or even death. According to the statistics of relevant agencies, the fetal mortality rate due to placental abruption is 11.9%.
Neonatal brain injury: After placental abruption, even if the treatment is timely, the fetus barely survives, leaving serious sequelae such as neurological development defects and brain damage.
Maternal coagulation disorders: placental abruption can lead to maternal bleeding, and a large amount of thromboplastin may be released at the peeling site, causing maternal coagulation dysfunction, causing heavy bleeding, and in severe cases, the uterus needs to be removed and even endangers the mother's life.
Acute renal failure: Massive bleeding can lead to electrolyte abnormalities, causing severe kidney damage, and the possibility of acute renal failure is very high.
Amniotic fluid embolism: After placental abruption, amniotic fluid can enter the maternal blood system through the stripping surface blood vessels, forming embolized pulmonary blood vessels. Amniotic fluid embolism is the most dangerous abnormality during childbirth, with a mortality rate of more than 60%.
Can placental abruption be prevented? How to prevent it?
Can placental abruption be prevented? The answer is yes. We already know the factors that can trigger placental abruption, so we can take corresponding preventive measures based on these factors.
Preconception tests are carried out to exclude all aspects of high-risk factors, to abstain from bad habits, healthy eating habits and lifestyle.
Regular pregnancy tests, if abnormal, actively seek medical attention.
Exercise moderately during pregnancy and avoid lying on your back for long periods of time.
Travel with caution and avoid abdominal trauma.
I hope that everyone can protect themselves during pregnancy and spend this time of closest contact with the baby safely.