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Misdiagnosed Placental Abruption - Know The Signs

Though rare, a placenta's premature separation from the uterine wall is a serious complication of pregnancy. This condition, placental abruption, occurs in only 0.5 percent of pregnancies and can unfortunately go undiagnosed.

Because the placenta supplies the infant with oxygen, placental abruption can cause infants serious brain damage and even death. In addition, they pose risks to the mother also from excess bleeding.

If you delivered your child in hospital, nurses monitored you and relayed information back to the obstetrician until he or she arrived for delivery. Sometimes nurses fail to inform the doctor of a placental abruption because the nurses simply missed the signs due to distraction or poor training. Other times nurses fail to notify a doctor because of strict chains of command and authority in hospitals that discourage free communication up the chain from nurses to doctors.

Know the signs of placental abruption in case you experience one in the absence of a medical care provider or if you think you notice something and want to ask your doctor or nurse about it during labor.

The most common sign of placental abruption is bright red vaginal bleeding or dark clots. The absence of bleeding does not rule out an abruption. If your placenta is blocking your cervix, the blood can be trapped.

Abdominal pain or tightness and tenderness across the abdomen are also signs of an abruption. Look for a quick increase in the size of your belly as blood fills the uterus.

If you have suffered an abruption in a previous pregnancy, then you are at 10 percent greater risk for developing a second abruption.

If you experience a placental abruption, your baby must be delivered immediately before it goes too long without oxygen.

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