Placenta abruptio

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Anatomy of a normal placenta	Cesarean section	Placenta	Placenta
Placenta	Ultrasound, color - normal umbilical cord	Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs	Ultrasound, normal placenta - Braxton Hicks
Ultrasound, normal relaxed placenta	Ultrasound in pregnancy

Premature separation of placenta; Ablatio placentae; Abruptio placentae; Placental abruption

Treatment may include IV (intravenous) fluid replacement and blood transfusion. The mother will be carefully monitored for symptoms of shock and signs of fetal distress, which include abnormal heart rates.

An emergency cesarean section may be necessary. If the fetus is very immature and there is only a small separation, the mother may be kept in the hospital for close observation and released after several days the condition does not get worse

If the fetus is mature, vaginal delivery may be chosen if there is minimal distress to the mother and child. Otherwise, a cesarean section may be the preferred choice.

The mother does not usually die from this condition. Maternal death rates in various parts of the world range from 0.5-5%. Early diagnosis of the condition and adequate treatment should decrease the maternal death rate even further. Fetal death rates range from 20-35%. Upon hospital admission, no fetal heart tone is detectable in about 15% of cases.

Fetal distress appears early in the condition in approximately 50% of cases. The infants who live have a 40-50% chance of complications, which range from mild to severe. Concealed vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, excessive loss of blood resulting in shock, absence of labor, a closed cervix, and delayed diagnosis and treatment may increase the risk of maternal or fetal death.

Excessive loss of blood may lead to shock and possible fetal and/or maternal death. If the site of placental attachment starts to hemorrhage after the delivery and loss of blood cannot be controlled by other means, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may become necessary.

See your health care provider immediately, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or get to the emergency room if you are pregnant and symptoms of placenta abruptio develop. This may rapidly become an emergency condition that threatens both the mother and the baby.

Review Date: 11/08/2006
Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.