a friend of mine just had a baby!!!?

Question

she had to have an emergency c-section!!! bc of an ruptured placenta? what does this mean??

Answer 1

This disorder is the premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall. Placental abruption affects 1 out of every 200 pregnancies. Harm to the baby is based on the severity of the abruption and whether or not the baby is delivered prematurely. With swift suitable treatment, maternal death is less than 1 percent. Abruption may reoccur 10 percent of the time with a subsequent pregnancy.

As you already know, the placenta implants on the uterine wall during pregnancy and is connected to you with many intertwining blood vessels. These blood vessels maintain their working status until the baby is delivered. Once the baby is delivered the placenta will release itself, the connecting vessels will close and recede back into the uterine lining, and bleeding will taper off.

With a placental abruption the many large blood vessels are ruptured between the placenta and the uterine wall. Once this happens bleeding can occur quickly and in large amounts. A collection of blood accumulates between the placenta and the uterus and then forces the placenta to further separate from the wall of the uterus. This can be life threatening for both mother and baby.

A devastating form of abruption occurs when all of the placenta is separated before the birth of the baby. When this tragic event happens it is called a total abruption. Early separation of the placenta can also occur in small amounts on different areas of the placenta's surface, a condition called a chronic abruption. A partial abruption occurs when a large portion of the placenta separates from the uterine wall. This can have many different degrees of severity. An abruption will range in percentage according to the amount of placenta lost to early separation, and the only absolute way to determine this is through an examination after the delivery. More importantly, in order for the baby to survive, at least half of the placenta needs to be attached and functioning.

How Does It Happen?

The cause of abruption is truly unknown, but there are many conditions highly associated with placental abruption. Conditions that increase the risk of abruption include chronic hypertension, smoking, toxemia, and having either twins or triplets. Other risk factors include having too much amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios), having a short umbilical cord, or using any form of cocaine. Experiencing trauma during pregnancy can also increase your risk of abruption. Examples of trauma can include a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or being a victim of physical abuse. Unfortunately, the belly is often a primary target for a batterer, and abruption may result from being hit, kicked, or stabbed in the abdomen.

How Will I Know?

Abruption is often discovered when bright red or dark clotted blood is discharged from the vagina. However, bleeding from the vagina is not always the case. An abruption can also be internal, or concealed, and vaginal bleeding may not occur. This happens when the collection of blood between the surface of the placenta and the uterus is trapped and does not escape through the cervix into the vagina. Sometimes, the blood forces its way into the bag of water around the baby. In this case, blood would not be seen until you break your bag of water. However, most of the time the blood makes its way down to the cervix between the bag of water and the uterine wall and is discharged into the vagina.

Pain associated with an abruption can vary from mild to severe. Contractions usually intensify the pain with an abruption. Other signs include tenderness across your belly or if your belly feels very hard. An obvious sudden increase in the size of your belly or the onset of labor may also be worrisome signs of an abruption. Labor is nature's way of trying to correct the problem. Obviously, if the placenta is coming away from the uterine wall it is not properly transporting blood and oxygen to the baby. Therefore, the baby will experience distress and even death. These will appear as abnormalities in the heart rate on an external fetal monitor.

What Now?

If you experience any or all of the signs and symptoms described, your care provider will want to see you right away. A sudden, total abruption requires immediate medical attention. A rapid delivery would be necessary to save your life and your baby's life. This is usually done by c-section unless your baby is delivering immediately through your vagina.

If it is unclear whether you are having a total abruption, an ultrasound examination can help rule out a placenta previa since an abruption is difficult to diagnose with an ultrasound. Other helpful information for your care provider would include your health history, admission of any drug use, any possible trauma that you may have experienced prior to your symptoms, and a physical examination.

Laboratory tests can also be helpful in determining the significance of an abruption so that your care provider may want to draw blood from your arm. An IV will administer fluid to you and provides access to your veins in case you require a blood transfusion, which is reserved for a life-threatening situation. The only true treatment to control life-threatening bleeding is delivery of both the baby and the placenta.

Sometimes, a chronic abruption can be managed without immediate delivery. This is solely based on how the baby is doing. If an abruption occurs before your due date and the baby's heart rate is reassuring, there may be time to give you medications to help mature the baby's lungs. At this time, your pregnancy would last only as long as the baby could tolerate it. Medications to stop contractions (tocolytics) are controversial in the treatment of a chronic abruption, and your care provider will determine if they are appropriate for you. If you experience abruption on or near your due date, vaginal delivery is recommended as long as mother and baby are doing well.

Can There Be Serious Complications?

Complications from a placental abruption stem from excessive bleeding. A very large quantity of blood can be lost during an abruption. This would require a c-section and thereby increasing blood loss from the surgery itself. Sometimes, when a mother has lost a significant amount of blood, a disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can occur. DIC interferes with your blood's natural ability to clot, and this will result in further blood loss. Excessive bleeding and DIC often require a blood transfusion.

As discussed with treatment for placenta previa, a hysterectomy is reserved as a last resort to control bleeding. The removal of your uterus is only done when all other efforts have failed and it is obvious that the surgery is necessary to save your life.The most devastating complication of placental abruption is death of the baby. The placenta is the baby's life support while inside the uterus. If the placenta does not readily supply the baby with oxygen and blood, it cannot survive.

Are There Other Causes of Bleeding?

Other disorders that can cause bleeding during pregnancy include a cervical polyp (a tumor) or cervical cancer. An infection in either the cervix or the vagina can also cause vaginal bleeding. A vasa previa is when the baby's umbilical cord vessels are in the membranes overlying the cervical opening. The vessels of the cord can rupture causing bleeding. This disorder is rare but can be life threatening for the baby. "Bloody show" is the bleeding that occurs when you are in labor and your cervix is changing. This is normal and does not pose any threat to you or your baby.

In any case, all vaginal bleeding should be taken seriously and should be reported to your care provider immediately. Treatments may sound drastic, but they are necessary to preserve your life as well as the life of your baby.

Answer 2

it means that she could have bled to death so this was a good call....she'll be okay and hopefully the baby is well...