Health concerns of a placental abruption
Care and treatment for placental abruption
A placental abruption or 'accidental haemorrhage', is a rare complication (about 0.5% of pregnancies) that can happen if part of the placenta lifts off the wall of the uterus (usually the middle part). This can allow blood to pool and clot between the placenta and the wall of the uterus (called a retroplacental clot).
Physical signs of a placental abruption can include moderate to severe, constant abdominal or back pain (depending on the extent of the abruption), which may or may not be associated with some vaginal bleeding. Because much of the blood accumulates behind the placenta, the amount of blood coming away from the vagina may not be that much. The woman's belly is often very tender or painful to touch .
A placental abruption is diagnosed with an ultrasound examination, or after the placenta is delivered a large, old clot can be seen (clots can normally be seen with the delivery of the placenta but they will look fresh).
A placental abruption can be associated with health conditions such as: