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Cesarean section
Cesarean section
Ultrasound in pregnancy
Ultrasound in pregnancy
Anatomy of a normal placenta
Anatomy of a normal placenta
Placenta previa
Placenta previa
Placenta
Placenta
Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs
Ultrasound, normal fetus - arms and legs
Ultrasound, normal relaxed placenta
Ultrasound, normal relaxed placenta
Ultrasound, color - normal umbilical cord
Ultrasound, color - normal umbilical cord
Placenta
Placenta
OverviewSymptomsTreatmentPrevention

Placenta previa

Symptoms:
  • Spotting during the first and second trimesters
  • Sudden, painless, and profuse vaginal bleeding in pregnancy during the third trimester (usually after 28 weeks)
  • Uterine cramping may occur with onset of bleeding
  • Bleeding may not occur until after labor starts in some cases

Note: Labor sometimes starts within several days after initial heavy, vaginal bleeding.



Signs and tests:

The uterus is usually soft and relaxed. The infant position is oblique ( // ) or transverse ( == ) in about 15% of cases. Fetal distress is not usually present unless vaginal blood loss has been heavy enough to induce maternal shock, placenta abruptio, or a cord accident occurs.

An abdominal ultrasound performed during the second trimester indicates low positioning of the placenta. Transvaginal or transperineal ultrasound can help physicians determine the position of a low-lying placenta.



Review Date: 1/27/2002
Reviewed By: Dominic Marchiano, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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