Low location of the placenta in pregnancy, what does it represent?
The placenta is a special organ that formsduring pregnancy. Starting from the 7th week, it provides the fetus with food, oxygen, and with it waste is removed. In other words, the placenta is a very important organ that provides an intrauterine life to your unborn baby.
The placenta, whose attachment is low - how is it?
Normally, if the placenta is located in the upperparts of the uterus (near its bottom). Pathology is its location in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the cervix (internal throat). The low location of the placenta during pregnancy is the case when the placenta is attached at a distance of approximately 5 cm from the entrance to the cervix. In case the attachment occurred at the entrance to the cervix, up to 5 cm from the internal pharynx, this condition is called placenta previa. It can be lateral, marginal or complete, depending on how much the placenta covers the area of the internal pharynx. Low attachment of the placenta and its presentation are different things, the second condition is considered a more serious pathology and requires more attention. While the low location of the placenta during pregnancy with the approach of the term of labor may completely cease to be a problem. The fact is that according to statistics, a low attachment of the placenta occurs in about 30% of women in early pregnancy, and after the 20th week the uterus begins to grow intensively, and the placenta usually "migrates" upwards, and only in one of two hundred cases remains in place , near the cervix. And yet, despite such favorable predictions, one should not neglect your health and let things go on its own, with the hope that "maybe it will resolve." If at the first ultrasound you have determined the low location of the placenta in pregnancy - this is the reason for a serious observation by the doctor throughout the gestation period.
Because of what happened?
It is not always easy to determine the causesthis pathology. Of course, for those diagnosed with this condition, for the most part, the reasons are not so important. It is important to conduct adequate treatment if necessary, and to give birth to a healthy child. But for your attending physician it's important to know what you did before cesarean section, in general any operations on the uterus, because the main cause is the violation of the uterine wall. Most often, the placenta, whose attachment is below the permissible norm is found in those who smoke, made abortions, who had miscarriages, frequent inflammations of the genital organs, a diseased heart, kidneys, etc. Hence, take care of yourself, take care of your health before pregnancy.
Is it possible to diagnose this pathology without symptoms?
The main method that diagnoses lowlocation of the placenta in pregnancy, is ultrasound, since the symptoms of this pathology are not always clearly pronounced. A woman may have scant bloody discharge, accompanied by unpleasant (not painful) sensations in the lower abdomen, hemoglobin is almost always lowered in the blood.
What to do, how to treat a low attachment of the placenta?
Without unnecessary emotions and panic, you should regularlyvisit a doctor watching the pregnancy, the main treatment in this state is constant monitoring. When identifying life-threatening fetal complications, a woman should preferably be hospitalized, protected from physical stress and emotional distress, and provide adequate nutrition. If you do not comply with bed rest and all the recommendations of a doctor, you can lose a child (the risk of miscarriage is great), since the low position of the placenta is often accompanied by fetal hypoxia. At the 36th week of pregnancy, you will be offered to undergo additional ultrasound, according to which the doctor will determine how the delivery will take place (independently or by cesarean). In any case, adjust only to a positive result, because very soon you will meet with your baby.