women s health issues
Placental Abruption
Symptoms of Placental Abruption
Symptoms of placental abruption depend on the degree of detachment and the amount of blood lost (which may be massive). Symptoms may include sudden continuous or crampy abdominal pain, tenderness when the abdomen is gently pressed, and dangerously low blood pressure ( Shock ). Some women have slight or no symptoms. The uterus bleeds from the site where the placenta has detached. The blood may pass through the cervix and out the vagina as an external hemorrhage, or the blood may be trapped behind the placenta as a concealed hemorrhage. Thus, abdominal pain may seem worse than expected for the amount of blood lost. If bleeding occurs, the blood may be bright or dark red, and bleeding may be continuous or spotty. Premature detachment of the placenta sometimes leads to severe blood loss with widespread clotting inside the blood vessels ( Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) ), When the placenta detaches, the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus may be reduced. If detachment occurs suddenly and greatly reduces the oxygen supply, the fetus may die. If it occurs gradually and less extensively, the fetus may not grow as much as expected ( Small-for-Gestational-Age (SGA) Newborns ) or there may be 