Placenta Previa Pregnancy Complications - Causes, and Symptoms

Placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers part or all of the opening of the cervix during pregnancy. The placenta acts as a provider of nutrients and oxygen for the fetus and produces pregnancy hormones. In addition, the placenta also functions to carry substances that are not needed by the fetus out of the body through the mother's urine and feces, and acts as a protector against collisions. and diseases that can threaten the fetus.

Placenta previa is a potentially severe pregnancy complication in which the placenta is located below the uterus, causing severe painless vaginal bleeding, and the bleeding may be life-threatening to the mother, either before or during labor. Placenta previa is common in pregnancies with high parity and over 30 years of age.

 

Causes of Placenta Previa

Until now, it is still not known exactly what causes placenta previa, but there are several factors that can affect the risk of pregnant women experiencing this condition, namely:

• Abnormal fetal position, such as latitude or breech
• Has a history of miscarriage
• Abnormally shaped uterus
• History of uterine surgery, such as cesarean section removal and curettage.
• Age 35 years or older
• Smoking or using drugs while pregnant

 

Symptoms of Placenta Previa

A sign of placenta previa is painless vaginal bleeding after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes, spotting may appear before more serious bleeding.

Bleeding may occur simultaneously with uterine contractions before labor, which may be accompanied by pain. Activities such as medical examinations or sexual intercourse may also trigger bleeding. For For some women, bleeding may not occur until the time of delivery. Often, there is no obvious event that caused the bleeding.

 

Diagnosis of Placenta Previa

Medical examinations and diagnostic tests need to be done to determine whether or not a pregnant A woman has placenta previa if there is bleeding in the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy. To make sure There are several ways of examination that will be carried out by the doctor, namely:

• Transvaginal ultrasound examination
• Transabdominal ultrasound examination
• MRI examination

If a pregnant woman has placenta previa, the doctor will not perform a routine transvaginal ultrasound. examination procedure, to reduce the risk of heavy bleeding. Instead, the doctor will replace the examination with a transabdominal ultrasound to monitor the position of the placenta periodically until delivery.

 

Prevention

Placenta previa cannot be prevented by either surgical or medical procedures that can correct it. There There are certain risk factors that can control or avoid the occurrence of placenta previa, such as avoiding smoking or drug use, reducing strenuous physical activity, and avoiding long-distance travel at 28 weeks gestation, and resting immediately when spots appear.

Therefore, placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers part or all of the neck of the uterus during During pregnancy, placenta previa can cause several symptoms in the form of vaginal bleeding. If you experience this, you should immediately check with your doctor to get the right and safe treatment for both mother and fetus.