Placenta Accreta: Symptoms, causes, and treatment

What are placenta accreta symptoms, causes, and treatment? Know it here!

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1 in 533 American women get placenta accreta yearly. 

Ever heard of placenta accreta? Whether or not you’re at risk of this condition, it is best to know what is placenta accreta, what causes placenta accreta, placenta accreta symptoms, and how to avoid placenta accreta.

What is placenta accreta? 

When the placenta, which serves as the baby’s food source inside the uterus, grows too deeply into the uterine wall, a condition known as placenta accreta takes place. 

In addition, in a typical pregnancy, the placenta easily separates from the uterus wall after delivery. With the placenta accreta condition, the placenta has grown into the uterine wall, making it challenging for it to separate after birth. 

In severe cases, this disease may result in excessive bleeding, which is potentially lethal. It may be essential to undergo blood transfusions or even hysterectomy treatments (removal of the uterus).

There are three types of placenta accreta which are based on the placenta’s level of uterine implantation.

• Placenta accreta

The placenta adheres tenaciously to the uterine wall in a placenta accreta. It doesn’t penetrate the uterus’ wall or have an impact on the uterus’ muscles. This is the condition’s most prevalent manifestation.

• Placenta increta

This disorder causes the placenta to ingest the uterine wall more deeply. Despite being firmly attached to the uterine muscle, it does not penetrate the wall.

• Placenta percreta

This condition, which is the most serious, happens when the placenta tears the uterine wall. The bladder or intestines, among other organs, may be impacted by the placenta as it passes through the uterus.

Placenta previa vs accreta

If your placenta is in the lower portion of your uterus or completely covers it (placenta previa), you are more likely to develop placenta accreta. 

What causes placenta accreta? 

Scarring from C-sections or other uterus surgery commonly causes abnormalities in the uterine lining assumed to be the cause of placenta accreta. However, rarely placenta accreta can form without any uterine surgery.

How common is placenta accreta

Placenta accreta is a rare disorder that affects 1.7 pregnancies out of 10,000. However, there are other factors that raise the risk, such as:

• If you’ve had a previous cesarean section
• If the placenta is premature (low lying placenta)
• Increasing birth rate
• Age of mother

Placenta accreta symptoms

Clearly, pregnant women with placenta accreta typically show no symptoms or warning signs. On rare occasions, your doctor will discover it while conducting a regular ultrasound.

However, vaginal bleeding during the third trimester might occasionally originate from placenta accreta (weeks 27 to 40). 

Call your doctor right immediately if you experience vaginal bleeding during the third trimester. If you experience significant bleeding that soaks through a pad in less than 45 minutes or heavy bleeding that is accompanied by stomach pain, call your doctor or medical emergency services immediately. 

Placenta accreta management

Doctors occasionally spot placenta accreta during routine ultrasound examinations. To make sure the placenta isn’t growing into the uterine wall, your doctor may likely perform a variety of tests if you have a number of placenta accreta risk factors.

One common procedure to check for placenta accreta is imaging techniques like ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as blood tests to check for high levels of alpha-fetoprotein.

The risks associated with placenta accreta can be serious and affect both the mother and the unborn child. Due to the child’s early birth, there may be additional hazards following birth. Mothers could be vulnerable to things like:

• Preterm delivery
• Harm to other organs, including the uterus
• Fertility loss brought on by having to undergo a hysterectomy (removal of uterus)
• Severe bleeding
• Death

Risks of placenta accreta

Major issues may arise as a result of placenta accreta. These include:

• severe vaginal bleeding that may require a blood transfusion
• bleeding problems or diffuse intravascular coagulopathy
• lung failure or adult respiratory distress syndrome
• kidney failure
• premature birth

As with any surgical treatment, cesarean birth and hysterectomy to remove the placenta from the body may provide more risks. Threats to mothers include:

• Consequences of anesthesia
• Bleeding clots
• Contamination of a wound
• More bleeding
• Surgery harm
• Danger to other organs when placenta connects to them

During a cesarean delivery, the baby could also sustain a surgical injury or have respiratory problems, both of which are uncommon concerns.

Doctors sometimes leave the placenta in your body since it may degrade throughout time. However, doing so can have negative repercussions. These could include:

• Potentially fatal vaginal bleeding
• Infections
• A blood clot that is blocking one or more arteries in the lungs is known as a pulmonary embolism.
• Necessary future hysterectomy
• Issues with next pregnancies, including miscarriage, premature birth, and placenta accreta

Placenta accreta treatment

Moreover, there are numerous treatments to treat placenta accreta. If the issue is found before delivery, the pregnancy will be closely monitored. 

The caregiver would often schedule a cesarean section (c-section) a few weeks before the baby was due. This lessens the chance of bleeding during labor or while under pressure. 

However, if the patient plans to have more children in the future, the caregivers could try to save the uterus. In extreme cases where the placenta is said to be highly adherent or invading other organs, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be the mother’s safest course of action. Removing the uterus while the placenta is still in place lowers the chance of substantial hemorrhage (hemorrhaging).

How to avoid placenta accreta? 

There is no way to avoid placenta accreta. The likelihood of placenta accreta rises if the mother has previously undergone multiple cesarean sections or has placenta previa. If you’ve had previous cesarean sections and have a placenta previa, speak with your doctor about the risks of placenta accreta.

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