Placenta previa, Mayo Clinic says, is a problem during pregnancy when the placenta completely or partially covers the opening of the uterus (cervix).
“The placenta is an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. In most pregnancies, the placenta attaches at the top or on the side of the uterus. In placenta previa, the placenta attaches low in the uterus.
“The placenta might partially or completely cover the opening of the uterus, called the cervix. Placenta previa can cause severe bleeding in the mother before, during or after delivery”, it stated.
The major contributors to maternal deaths according to experts are severe bleeding (haemorrhage), infections, high blood pressure, complications from delivery and unsafe abortion.
Speaking in an interview with PUNCH Healthwise, the Associate Professor, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Bayero University, said pregnant women experiencing any vaginal bleeding during pregnancy should not take it lightly.
According to him, bleeding in pregnancy is abnormal and a sign that there is a problem with the pregnancy.
The physician said women should not take vaginal bleeding at such a time to mean menstruation, warning that it could also be a sign of miscarriage, especially at the early stage of the pregnancy.
Aliyu said, “A woman can’t be pregnant and menstruating. Any bleeding seen after the confirmation of pregnancy is abnormal and a sign of a problem.
“Any pregnant woman experiencing such should go to the hospital to see an expert for proper investigation and to ascertain the cause of the bleeding.
“If the bleeding is during early pregnancy, it is a sign of miscarriage. There are different types of miscarriages. It can be threatened or it has happened or the foetus has died and not yet been expelled.
“Whatever it is, if there is bleeding after the confirmation of pregnancy during the earlier stage, it means there is a problem with the pregnancy. “
The gynaecologist argued that the first sign of pregnancy is the absence of menses.
“If a woman is of reproductive age and she doesn’t see her menses, the first thing that comes to mind is that she is pregnant. So, if pregnancy is confirmed and bleeding comes back, it means that pregnancy is complicated and there is a problem with it.
“When a woman is pregnant and she is bleeding, there is nothing like seeing her menses during the pregnancy. Bleeding in pregnancy is a dangerous sign.
“It is only the doctors that will confirm what the problem is and give the appropriate treatment. So, no woman should take bleeding in pregnancy lightly. It must be investigated, cause confirmed and treatment given”, he said.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, bleeding in the first trimester happens to about 15–25 per cent of pregnant women, adding that bleeding later in pregnancy can be more serious.
The maternal health expert further said, “Now, if the bleeding happens later in the pregnancy, like around six to nine months, it can still be a sign of miscarriage or a sign that the placenta is located in an abnormal place.
“When the placenta lies low in the uterus, it may partly or completely cover the cervix. This is called Placenta previa and may cause vaginal bleeding. So, this is one form of bleeding later in pregnancy.
“If the woman is bleeding around eight months of the pregnancy and then she has abdominal pain, it is called Placental abruption. Placental abruption is when the placenta detaches from the wall of the uterus before the foetus is born.
“ So, these are major causes of bleeding in the later part of a pregnancy. Other causes of bleeding in pregnancy include infection and cervical cancer.”
Aliyu expressed concern at the way and manner most Nigerian women, especially those in the rural areas handle issues that affect their health, noting that it contributes to the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in the country.
“Most women don’t go to the hospital for proper check-up if there is a problem with their health. Instead, they attribute it to something else and later the problem will worsen.
“None of these causes of bleeding in pregnancy should be neglected by any pregnant woman because they are all dangerous. Women must make sure that whenever they have bleeding in pregnancy, they go to the hospital for proper evaluation, investigation and treatment”, he said.
In a study published by The Lancet in 2018 on the risk of maternal mortality in women with severe anaemia during pregnancy, researchers say anaemia affects as many as half of all pregnant women in low-income and middle-income countries.
Data from the World Health Organisation revealed that about 287,000 women died during pregnancy and after childbirth in 2020. Out of these figures, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for around 70 per cent of maternal deaths.
source: punchng.com
