The most important organ in early child development, besides the uterus itself, is arguably the placenta. This organ acts as the primary delivery vessel of nutrients, blood, and oxygen to the child but also keeps the fetus relatively safe from harm during its development. In the event that a placental injury occurs, this could result in life-threatening complications for the child if severe enough; the three main types of injuries – placental abruption, placentia previa, and placental insufficiency, all have different placental injury symptoms that any expectant mother needs to know.
Placental Abruption
Usually something that happens no earlier than the 20
th week of pregnancy, a placental abruption is when the placenta separates from the uterus, where it usually resides until just before childbirth. There’s any number of reasons that a placental abruption can occur, including high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking while pregnant, and increased maternal age, though in many cases placental abruptions occur without any warning or any clear cause. This means that any women who exhibit one or more of these risk factors warrant close monitoring, especially since untreated and undiagnosed placental abruptions can lead to any number of health problems for the infant including premature birth, cognitive disorders, cerebral palsy, and increased infant mortality rates.
Placenta Previa
An extremely rare condition – it affects less than 10% of all pregnancies, the placental injury known as placenta previa can be quite dangerous for the unborn child. Occurring when the placenta moves downward and blocks the cervix, either partially or completely, placenta previa can lead to many different conditions such as stillbirth, seizures, heart abnormalities, low birth weight and asphyxiation. Normal care for a woman with placenta previa is bed rest and a battery of prescription medications; in cases where placenta previa coincides with heavy vaginal bleeding that cannot be controlled, doctors will usually recommend an immediate C-section, though every effort is made to wait until the pregnancy is at least 36 weeks along unless there are dangerous conditions threatening the life of the infant or the mother.
Placental Insufficiency
Sometimes known as utero-placental insufficiency, placental insufficiency is characterized by reduced blood flow to the placenta over the course of a pregnancy. This reduced blood flow in turn reduces the ability of the placenta to deliver the nutrients and oxygen the infant needs to develop. Many of the same risk factors that can lead to placental abruptions, such as high blood pressure, smoking during pregnancy and gestational diabetes, are also indicators for a mother’s risk of developing placental insufficiency as well.
Placental insufficiency carries high risks for the fetus if left untreated as well. These risks include the possibility of developing neurological impairments, cerebral palsy, cognitive disabilities, seizures, and reduced size and weight. Typical treatments include managing high blood pressure, patient education, and bed rest, though there are other treatments that are periodically used like fetal monitoring or prescribing low-dose aspirin to the expectant mother.
Importance of Treating Placental Injuries
The key to treating placental injuries is to begin treatment as soon as possible. In the event that a doctor doesn’t detect these issues in time and neglects to treat them, the risk of life-altering conditions becoming prevalent in a developing infant begin to increase; additionally, expectant mothers can also be subject to heightened risks of infection, shock, and excessive bleeding. If you’re pregnant or someone you know is carrying a child, be sure to go to the doctor at the first signs of vaginal bleeding or any similar placental injury symptoms.
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