Placental insufficiency may be diagnosed during a routine ultrasound if your baby isn't growing as expected. Sometimes pregnant women may notice that their tummy isn't growing, is smaller than in previous pregnancies or their baby isn't moving as much.
Maternal blood and vascular disorders can lead to placental insufficiency, but medications and lifestyle choices are possible causes as well. The most commonly linked conditions to placental insufficiency are: Diabetes. High blood pressure.
Consuming nutrient-rich calories and iron rich foods will help to sustain a healthy placenta and prevent conditions such as iron-deficiency anaemia.
And in pregnancy, it's critical for a healthy mom and baby. Water is used to form the placenta and used in the amniotic sac. These are all essential for the nourishment of your growing baby. Dehydration during your pregnancy can lead to complications.
Getting prenatal care early in pregnancy will help make sure that the mother is as healthy as possible during the pregnancy. Smoking, alcohol, and other recreational drugs can interfere with the baby's growth. Avoiding these substances may help prevent placental insufficiency and other pregnancy complications.
Toxic stress also contributes to several medical conditions that can lead to placental abnormalities. Conditions like maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and a disturbed maternal microbiome.
Placental insufficiency is a potential cause of preterm labor, pre-eclampsia, IUGR, and stillbirth, which can affect 10 to 15% of pregnancies.
If the placenta peels away from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery — either partially or completely — a condition known as placental abruption develops. This can deprive the baby of oxygen and nutrients and cause you to bleed heavily.
In most cases, the placenta does its job without any issues, but sometimes there are problems with the placenta that can result in a variety of complications, including preterm birth and pregnancy loss.
High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a baby who is preterm (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Placental disorders are usually diagnosed by ultrasound in the second trimester (about 18 to 20 weeks into a pregnancy). Placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers some or all of the cervix. If you have placenta previa early in pregnancy, it usually isn't a problem.
The placenta can't be reattached, so your treatment options depend on how far along you are in your pregnancy, severity of the abruption and status of mother and baby.
The foods the mother is able to eat during pregnancy will determine how well the placenta is able to transport nutrients and oxygen to the developing baby.
The umbilical vein carries oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the fetus, and the umbilical arteries carry deoxygenated, nutrient-depleted blood from the fetus to the placenta (Figure 2.2). Any impairment in blood flow within the cord can be a catastrophic event for the fetus.
Dehydration during pregnancy can lead to serious pregnancy complications, including neural tube defects, low amniotic fluid, inadequate breast milk production, and even premature labor. These risks, in turn, can lead to birth defects due to lack of water and nutritional support for your baby.
Low-lying placentas, placenta previa and abnormally invasive placentas are the most frequently occurring placental abnormalities in location and anatomy. These conditions can have serious consequences for mother and fetus mainly due to excessive blood loss before, during or after delivery.