Low placenta: Signs, risks, and treatment

Getting diagnosed with low placenta makes many pregnant women worry because this is one of the problems affecting pregnancy. 

In this article, aFamilyToday Health provides pregnant mothers with information about low placenta such as: risk factors, identification signs, diagnostic methods and treatment, and answers common questions. to be able to take care of the best pregnancy.

What is low placenta?

The placenta is a disk-like organ that develops inside the uterus during pregnancy. This organ is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients from the mother's body to the fetus, and acts as a protective barrier to the fetus to help fight infections from the inside. The placenta connects with the fetus through the umbilical cord .

If the fetus is developing normally, the placenta is attached to the bottom of the uterus to the right or left. The placenta will move up or to the side as the uterus stretches during pregnancy.

Low placenta occurs when part of the placenta attaches to the lower part of the uterus, near the cervix, instead of the base of the uterus. Low placenta status can go away as the fetus grows, uterus develops toward the bottom, pulling the placenta up.

Because this is the phenomenon of the placenta lying close to the cervical hole, it will be easy to remove from the uterine lining and easily lead to bleeding, so many experts also believe that the low placenta is a mild form of the placenta. .

Signs identify the low placenta

The hallmark of low placenta attachment during pregnancy is usually vaginal bleeding. However, this can also be a warning sign of other pregnancy problems. Therefore, if you bleed or have one of the following signs, you should immediately go to the hospital:

Cramping or throbbing pain

Vaginal bleeding

Bleeding after sex

Bleeding in the second half of pregnancy

Bleeding after walking a lot, doing heavy work ...

Risk factors for increased low placenta development

Risk factors for low placenta development include:

Have ever performed surgery related to the uterus: cesarean section, surgery to remove  fibroids , dilatation of the cervix and curettage

Multiple pregnancy

Abnormal position of the fetus: buttock or horizontal fetus

Ever had a miscarriage

Large placenta

The uterus has an irregular shape

Ever gave birth

Have had a low placenta in the previous pregnancy

Pregnant when over 35 years old

Being Asian

Be a smoker.

Low placenta: Pregnant mother and fetus face any risks?

Low placenta attachment can cause pregnant mother and fetus to face risks such as:

Pregnant mother

Anemia: Low placenta pregnant mothers can often bleed a lot during pregnancy, leading to increased risk of anemia in pregnancy . This increases the risk of premature birth, fetal growth delay if the mother unfortunately has severe anemia.

Hemorrhage at birth: During labor, the placenta can dissolve prematurely, causing the mother to lose a lot of blood, possibly leading to death. In the case of the placenta sticking close to the cervix (placenta forwards), after the birth of the placenta is dissected, the cervix is ​​open, increasing the risk of infection. Severe bleeding may require the uterus to be removed.

Increased risk of Caesarean section : Many mothers who have low placenta have low placenta and are indicated by doctors to have a cesarean section or to be hospitalized early to monitor to minimize the possible obstetric complications.

For the fetus

Growth retardation : In case the mother is anemic caused by low placenta, the fetus is at risk of developing slowly in the uterus, even fetal failure .

Early delivery : In case the mother is bleeding too much, doctors can prescribe early delivery by cesarean section. Premature babies may experience health problems such as respiratory distress, low birth weight.

Negative fetus: There are many opinions that low placenta can be one of the reasons that the fetus is not favorable (breech or horizontal). The reason is low placenta prevents the fetus from returning to the forward position.

How is the low placenta diagnosed?

Usually, the first signs of a low placenta will appear during a 20-week fetal ultrasound . If during this ultrasound period, the doctor said that the placenta is holding in a low position, the pregnant mother should not be too worried, because in the early stages of pregnancy the placenta is usually lower in the uterus. During the second half of the two trimester, the placenta usually develops toward the base of the uterus as the uterus expands to meet the growing needs of the fetus .

According to the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UK, only 10% of cases of low placenta develop completely into each other.

Obstetricians often diagnose low placenta by one of the following 3 methods:

Vaginal reclining ultrasound

Stomach supersonic

Magnetic resonance imaging.

How to treat low placenta

Doctors will decide to treat low placenta based on: the amount of bleeding, the age and health of the fetus, the position of the placenta and the baby. Bleeding factor is the main factor for doctors to propose appropriate treatment plans, specifically as follows:

No bleeding or very little bleeding

For cases of low placenta but does not cause bleeding or bleeding very little, doctors will usually recommend pregnant mothers to rest in bed, only stand and sit when absolutely necessary.

In addition, your doctor also asks you to avoid sex and physical activity. If you notice signs of bleeding during this time, you should go to the hospital for medical attention as soon as possible.

Severe bleeding

In case pregnant mother has heavy bleeding, doctors usually appoint hospital for convenient monitoring and timely health care. Depending on the amount of blood lost, you may need a blood transfusion . In some specific cases, doctors will give pregnant mothers medicine to prevent premature labor.

In case the pregnant mother has heavy bleeding, the fetus reaches 36 weeks of age , doctors will appoint a cesarean section to ensure safety for both mother and baby. In case indicated early birth, the baby may have to inject corticosteroids to speed up lung development.

Uncontrolled bleeding

In case the placenta is low, causing uncontrolled bleeding from the pregnant mother, the doctor will appoint an urgent cesarean section.

Common questions about the low stick

1. What should the low placenta eat and what to abstain from?

Receiving a low placenta diagnosis makes many pregnant mothers wonder what to eat and what to abstain from? There are practically no specific dietary indications for this. However, if the placenta is low, pregnant mothers need to follow the instructions of the doctor strictly and pay attention to the following:

Eat a nutritious diet, eat foods that are easy to digest, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. You should prioritize choosing organic foods (if possible) to ensure safety.

Discuss with your obstetrician about using organic iron , folic acid and calcium supplements for the body to easily absorb, avoid side effects, which can cause constipation, bloating ...

If you have vaginal bleeding, which may not accompany abdominal pain symptoms, pregnant women also need to go to the hospital or obstetric clinic right away to be examined.

Take time to rest a lot.

Avoid doing a lot of activities and limit riding motorbikes and bicycles during this time.

Please consult your doctor about the form of giving birth to a square mother.

Avoid having sex.

2. Can low placenta give birth often?

In some cases without the indicated health problems, pregnant mothers can give birth normally. However, if a pregnant mother has a low placenta, if she chooses to give birth, it can often face many risks such as severe bleeding during labor , during delivery or the first few hours after birth. The reason is that the low attachment near the front of the cervix will cause the placenta to begin dissecting as soon as the cervix is ​​open, causing internal bleeding, increasing the risk of maternal death without timely medical intervention. time.

In order for the birth to go smoothly, with a round mother, pregnant mother needs to discuss with the obstetrician to consider the benefits between normal birth and caesarean section.

3. Is low placenta dangerous?

As mentioned above, low placenta can lead to the risk of bleeding during pregnancy, at birth, endanger the life of both mother and baby.

The position of the placenta can change with the development of the fetus and the expansion of the uterus helps to pull the placenta towards the base of the uterus. Therefore, if detected early, with proper nutrition and rest as well as limited vigorous activities, low placenta is not a worrying situation. To ensure the health of pregnancy, pregnant mothers should go for prenatal check-up on schedule and fully. This helps to keep the risks under control.