Placental Abruption Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Placental abruption is the partial or complete detachment of the placenta from the uterine wall that occurs before the fetus is born. This is dangerous because the placenta functions as a medium for providing nutrients and oxygen to the fetus.
This condition can cause severe bleeding – both in the mother and the fetus in the womb. It usually occurs in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (over 20 weeks of gestation).
Placental abruption can cause complications such as hypovolemic shock, kidney failure, and blood clotting disorders. Whereas in the fetus, complications that can occur include fetal distress, growth/development disorders, hypoxia, anemia, and death.
Placental Abruption Symptoms
The symptoms of placental abruption depend on the extent of the detached placenta. Here are some common symptoms that occur as a result of detachment of the placenta or placental abruption:
- back pain
- Contractions are fast
- Vaginal bleeding
- The womb hurts
- Abdominal pain
- Lack of fetal movement or abnormal movement
Placental Abruption Reason
Until now, the exact cause of placental abruption is not known. However, there are several things that are thought to increase the risk factors for this condition, namely:
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Trauma factors (falling, getting kicked, etc.)
- Age factor
- Leiomioma uteri (uterine leiomyoma)
- Drug use and
- Smoking habits (smoking can increase the risk of placental abruption by up to 25%)
- Prior history of placental abruption
- Amniotic fluid leaks or breaks prematurely
- Other conditions such as anemia, malnutrition / nutritional deficiencies
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis of placental abruption can be made through physical examination. Through this examination, the doctor will determine the pressure of the uterus, whether it is soft or hard. But that’s not the only check that can be done. Other checks are by blood test and ultrasound examination.
- Through blood tests and ultrasound examinations, the cause of bleeding can be identified. The use of high-frequency ultrasound is usually needed to determine the condition of the uterus. However, this examination cannot always confirm placental abruption.
Placental Abruption Treatment
It should be known from the start that a detached placenta cannot be put back together. For this reason, the handling of placental abruption will be determined depending on the gestational age and the condition of the fetus in the womb.
The doctor will wait for spontaneous labor only under certain conditions. For example: if the gestational age is less than 36 weeks, the bleeding has stopped, the stomach does not hurt, and the fetus is alive.
But it’s different if your condition continues to get worse (bleeding continues and the wider part of the placenta that is released based on ultrasound monitoring). In cases like this, the pregnancy must be terminated immediately.