What are placenta accreta symptoms, causes, and treatment? Know it here!
According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1 in 533 women in the United States get placenta accreta every year.
Ever heard of placenta accreta? Whether or not you’re at risk of this condition, it is best to know what it is, what causes it, its symptoms, and how to avoid placenta accreta.
What Is Placenta Accreta
When the placenta, which serves as the baby’s food source inside the uterus, grows too deeply into the uterine wall, a condition known as placenta accreta takes place.
In a typical pregnancy, the placenta easily separates from the uterus wall after delivery. In the condition of placenta accreta, the placenta has grown into the uterine wall, making it challenging for it to separate after birth.
In severe cases, this disease may result in excessive bleeding, which is potentially lethal. It may be essential to undergo blood transfusions or even hysterectomy treatments (removal of the uterus).
There are three types of placenta accreta which are based on the placenta’s level of uterine implantation.
Image from Shutterstock
The placenta adheres tenaciously to the uterine wall in a placenta accreta. It doesn’t penetrate the uterus’ wall or have an impact on the uterus muscles. This is the condition’s most prevalent manifestation.
This disorder causes the placenta to ingest the uterine wall more deeply. Despite being firmly attached to the uterine muscle, it does not penetrate the wall.
This condition, which is the most serious, happens when the placenta tears the uterine wall. The bladder or intestines, among other organs, may be impacted by the placenta as it passes through the uterus.
Placenta Previa vs Accreta
You may have heard of the term placenta previa. How is it different from placenta accreta?
If your placenta is in the lower portion of your uterus or completely covers it (placenta previa), you are more likely to develop placenta accreta.
What Causes Placenta Accreta
Scarring from C-sections or other uterus surgery commonly causes abnormalities in the uterine lining assumed to be the cause of placenta accreta. However, rarely placenta accreta can form without any uterine surgery.
How Common Is Placenta Accreta
Placenta accreta is a rare disorder that affects 1.7 pregnancies out of 10,000. However, there are other factors that raise the risk, such as:
- If you’ve had a previous cesarean section
- If the placenta is premature (low lying placenta)
- Increasing birth rate
- Age of mother
Placenta Accreta Symptoms
Pregnant women with placenta accreta typically show no symptoms or warning signs. On rare occasions, your doctor will discover it while conducting a regular ultrasound.
However, vaginal bleeding during the third trimester might occasionally originate from placenta accreta (weeks 27 to 40).
Call your doctor right immediately if you experience vaginal bleeding during the third trimester. If you experience significant bleeding that soaks through a pad in less than 45 minutes or heavy bleeding that is accompanied by stomach pain, call your doctor or medical emergency services immediately.
Placenta Accreta Management
Doctors occasionally spot placenta accreta during routine ultrasound examinations. To make sure the placenta isn’t growing into the uterine wall, your doctor may likely perform a variety of tests if you have a number of placenta accreta risk factors.
One common procedure to check for placenta accreta is imaging techniques like ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as blood tests to check for high levels of alpha-fetoprotein.
The risks associated with placenta accreta can be serious and affect both the mother and the unborn child. Due to the child’s early birth, there may be additional hazards following birth. Mothers could be vulnerable to things like:
- Preterm delivery
- Harm to other organs, including the uterus
- Fertility loss brought on by having to undergo a hysterectomy (removal of uterus)
- Severe bleeding
- Death
Risks of Placenta Accreta
Major issues may arise as a result of placenta accreta. These include:
- severe vaginal bleeding that may require a blood transfusion
- bleeding problems or diffuse intravascular coagulopathy
- lung failure or adult respiratory distress syndrome
- kidney failure
- premature birth
As with any surgical treatment, cesarean birth and hysterectomy to remove the placenta from the body may provide more risks. Threats to mothers include:
- Consequences of anaesthesia
- Bleeding clots
- Contamination of a wound
- More bleeding
- Surgery harm
- Danger to other organs when placenta connects to them
During a cesarean delivery, the baby could also sustain a surgical injury or have respiratory problems, both of which are uncommon concerns.
Doctors sometimes leave the placenta in your body since it may degrade throughout time. However, doing so can have negative repercussions. These could include:
- Potentially fatal vaginal bleeding
- Infections
- A blood clot that is blocking one or more arteries in the lungs is known as a pulmonary embolism.
- Necessary future hysterectomy
- Issues with next pregnancies, including miscarriage, premature birth, and placenta accreta
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Placental Abruption: Causes, Symptoms and Its Effect On Your Baby If Untreated
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Placenta Accreta Treatment
There are numerous treatments to treat placenta accreta. If the issue is found before delivery, the pregnancy will be closely monitored.
The caregiver would often schedule a cesarean section (c-section) a few weeks before the baby was due. This lessens the chance of bleeding during labour or while under pressure.
If the patient plans to have more children in the future, the caregivers could try to save the uterus. In extreme cases where the placenta is said to be highly adherent or invading other organs, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be the mother’s safest course of action. Removing the uterus while the placenta is still in place lowers the chance of substantial haemorrhage (hemorrhaging).
How to Avoid Placenta Accreta
There is no way to avoid placenta accreta. The likelihood of placenta accreta rises if the mother has previously undergone multiple cesarean sections or has placenta previa. If you’ve had previous cesarean sections and have a placenta previa, speak with your doctor about the risks of placenta accreta.
This article was written by Margaux Dolores and republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
