Complete presentation of the placenta

Normally, the placenta can be located along the back, front and side walls of the uterus. If it forms, blocking the internal pharynx of the uterus, i.e. the birth canal through which the baby appears, we are talking about presentation. This is one of the most serious complications for pregnant women. With timely detection of pathology, the correct pregnancy management and childbirth are safe for mom and baby. But there are cases when placenta previa is accompanied by severe bleeding and serious problems during childbirth that threaten the health and life of the child. This usually occurs when a pathology is detected belatedly or when the doctor who is observing the woman performs unprofessional actions.

Therefore, it is very important for pregnant women to undergo regular screenings and choose specialized clinics where doctors with extensive experience in managing, including complicated pregnancy and childbirth, work.

Types of placenta previa

Presentation can be complete or incomplete.

With full presentation, the placenta usually completely obscures the inner pharynx. The child cannot pass through the birth canal, so it is necessary to have a cesarean section (CS).

With partial presentation, the placenta does not completely block the inner pharynx. The choice in favor of EP or CS remains with the doctor, based on the specifics of each situation.

In both cases, women with placenta previa are taken under special control and are monitored by gynecologists together with hospital specialists from the 30th week. The period of 30 weeks is easy to explain: before this time, the placenta can "migrate", that is, there is still some chance that it will "get up" in the right place. After 30 weeks, this probability practically disappears.

A special situation is when a woman has a scar on the uterus and placenta previa. Previously, such patients were admitted to the hospital from the age of 32 weeks and monitored there until delivery. Today, with the development of medicine, in particular, the advent of the latest equipment, there is no need to stay in the hospital. But such women are under the close supervision of doctors.

Causes of complete placenta previa

Placenta previa can be triggered by:

• Multiple births: the more births there are, the more likely it is that the placenta will choose the wrong place.
The CS scar on the uterus also provokes the development of presentation. This is explained by the fact that in order to obtain nutrients, the placenta must be located in the most advantageous areas of the uterus, with a good blood supply. A scar on the uterus interferes with the absorption of nutrients, and the placenta tends to choose a more advantageous site for itself. For the same reason, fibroids can also provoke presentation.
• Multiple pregnancies.
• Smoking can also cause partial or complete placenta previa.

Diagnosis and symptoms of partial and complete placenta previa

Presentation can be diagnosed immediately after the formation of the placenta. It can be detected on a regular ultrasound scan.

Sometimes presentation develops asymptomatically. Sometimes bloody spotting appears – with such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Cases of severe bleeding are especially dangerous – in such situations it is impossible to delay. The sooner a woman seeks medical help, the lower the risks.

Treatment of complete placenta previa

There are no effective ways to solve this problem.

Sometimes, with increased danger, a woman can be admitted to a hospital and try to tone down. In such cases, there is a small chance that the placenta "migrates". Of course, with full presentation, the placenta will not fall into place, but it may move slightly, reducing the risks.

Therefore, with this problem, the main thing is constant monitoring of the pregnant woman in order to keep the situation under control.

With full placenta previa, natural childbirth is contraindicated in order to avoid the onset of bleeding. CS is usually performed at 38 weeks of pregnancy with the presence of not only obstetricians and gynecologists and an anesthesiologist, but also a transfusiologist. The availability of blood reinfusion equipment in the hospital is a prerequisite for such deliveries.

Advantages of contacting the EMC

• Doctors maternity hospitals with work experience in the best clinics in Europe and Israel.
• Doctors who specialize, among other things, in the management of complex pregnancies and childbirth (partial and complete placenta previa, ER with a scar on the uterus, late delivery, delivery after ЭКО and others).
• Intensive care for patients and newborns.
• State-of-the-art surgical and intensive care equipment, including a blood reinfusion machine.
• Department of Neonatology.
• Taking care of mom and baby 24/7.