Complications of the placenta | Complications during birth

Complications of the placenta

The placenta is a direct connection between mother and child through which, among other things, oxygen and nutrients are exchanged.Complications can occur before, during and after the birth of the child due to a malposition of the placenta or problems with placental detachment. Placenta praevia describes a malposition of the placenta and occurs in 0.4 percent of all pregnancies. The placenta is located deeper in the uterus and can partially or completely cover the cervix.

During birth, heavy bleeding can occur and a caesarean section must be performed. Even a premature placental abruption, i.e. a detachment of the placenta before the baby has been abducted, can cause complications before or during birth. It occurs in about 0.8 percent of all pregnancies and can put mother and child at acute risk.

Symptoms include a hard uterus, pain, dizziness, unconsciousness and bleeding, and it can lead to circulatory and kidney failure. A disorder of placental detachment is present if the placenta has not detached more than 30 minutes after the cord was cut, the mother has lost more than 300 ml of blood, or the afterbirth has not been born or has been born incompletely. There can be various reasons for this, for example that the muscles of the uterus do not contract sufficiently to expel the placenta or that the placenta has grown together with the uterine wall.

Furthermore, a cramping of the cervix can also lead to the fact that the afterbirth cannot be born. The main complications are heavy bleeding. Therapeutically, drugs or various procedures are used; in the worst case, the uterus must be surgically removed.