What is a premature placental abruption?
Premature placental detachment is the detachment of the placenta from the uterus in whole or in part, which takes place while the baby is still in the mother’s womb. Normally, the placenta does not separate until after the birth of the child. Premature placental detachment can be completely free of symptoms and, if only a small amount of the placenta is detached, it is not dangerous.
However, if the placenta has detached itself from the uterus for the most part or completely, this leads to an interruption of the child’s blood and oxygen supply, since the placenta is no longer connected to the mother’s blood vessels. Furthermore, the maternal blood vessels separated from the placenta bleed into the uterus and the mother loses blood. Depending on the extent of the detachment, the condition can become life-threatening for both mother and child.
Reasons for a premature placental abruption
There can be several causes and factors that promote premature placental detachment. For example, trauma to the uterus, such as that caused by force applied to the abdominal cavity in a fall, fight or accident, can lead to a hematoma of the uterus due to the rupture of maternal vessels. In this case, a bruise causes blood to accumulate between the placenta and the uterus; this is called a retroplacental hematoma.
If there is more bleeding and the bruise is getting bigger and bigger, more space is needed so that the gap between the placenta and the uterus widens and fills with blood. This blood congestion can lead to partial or complete placental detachment. Smoking and increased maternal age and a premature placental abruption in a pre-pregnancy are among the possible risk factors.
In a multiple pregnancy, the birth of the first twin can also cause the placenta to detach and thus endanger the second twin. A premature placental abruption can also occur as a result of medical manoeuvres, when an attempt is made to adjust the position of the unborn child to the position that is possible at birth if the unborn child is not in the correct position. High blood pressure during pregnancy is also an increased risk of premature placental abruption and premature or miscarriage.
High blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to pre-eclampsia or gestation, which can have further serious consequences for mother and child. Smoking is one of the risk factors for premature placental abruption. Nicotine affects the mother’s blood circulation and thus also the blood supply to the placenta, which is ensured by maternal vessels.
The placenta in turn has the task of supplying the unborn child with blood, oxygen and nutrients. Smoking can therefore impair the child’s blood supply. The consumption of nicotine therefore increases the probability of the early release of the placenta from the uterus. This can endanger mother and child. In order to reduce the risk of premature placental detachment, smoking should therefore be avoided during pregnancy and ideally also during breastfeeding.
