During the bearing of the long-awaited baby, women are often forced to face various kinds of problems. In some situations, there is no danger to either the mother herself or her baby. However, if you have any ailments, you should consult a doctor.
If a woman is diagnosed with placental insufficiency during pregnancy, then this is not a sentence. This ailment is a whole complex of changes in the area where the growing fetus is located. In some cases, such a pathology can lead to impaired functioning of the baby's organs just beginning to develop. Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail what constitutes uterine-placental insufficiency. If you clarify the symptoms of the disease, then you can avoid serious complications.
General information
Placental insufficiency is a special syndrome that leads to disturbances during the functioning of this important component. This occurs against the background of the fact that the fetus begins to respond to ailments from which the woman herself suffers.
If we talk about the manifestation of this ailment, then it usually manifests itself in the fact that the placenta at some point ceases to respond to the needs of the baby. In this case, quite serious molecular changes occur, affecting cells, adjacent tissues. This affects the speed and quality of development of the internal organs of the fetus.
If we talk about statistics, then placental insufficiency during pregnancy occurs in 30% of cases. Most often, this is caused by diseases of the cardiovascular system, malfunctions of the hormonal composition, inflammatory processes that occur in the urogenital system of a woman. In some situations, with a complex degree of pathology, it can lead to fetal death.
Most of all placental insufficiency are those women who have previously experienced a miscarriage or suffered from a number of complications, including the so-called frozen pregnancy. In the process of this ailment, the fetus may begin to linger in development. This phenomenon is called feto-placental insufficiency.
Varieties
In medical practice, primary placental insufficiency is isolated. It develops during the first 16 weeks of gestation. In this period of time, the necessary nutrient medium for the fetus is formed and the fetal egg is directly fixed on one of the walls of the uterus. At the secondary stage of the development of the disease, blood flow disorders occur.
Also exists:
- Acute placental insufficiency. In this case, there is a sharp violation of the blood flow in the uterus. This is due to the detachment of the placenta itself and the appearance of hematomas. This stage is very dangerous in that it can develop within a few hours. During this time, the fetus begins hypoxia and he dies.
- Chronic placental insufficiency. In this case, blood flow disturbance occurs gradually. When the nutrient medium loses its ability to adapt to altered conditions, it undergoes dystrophy. In addition, other changes may be caused.
Chronic placental insufficiency is less dangerous than an acute attack. However, this kind of ailment requires immediate medical attention.
The severity of the disease
Based on this indicator, there are:
- Compensated placental insufficiency. In this case, insignificant violations of biochemical processes occur in the body of the expectant mother. For example, too many proteins are produced. In this case, the placenta maintains a normal level of blood flow, however, there is still the possibility of fetal hypoxia.
- Decompensated failure. In this case, with the formation of the placenta, quite serious violations occur that adversely affect the functions necessary for the baby to have nutritious material. In addition, at this stage, there is a deterioration in blood flow in the uterus, which leads to serious oxygen starvation of the fetus.
Three phases of the development of the disease
This pathology develops according to a certain pattern. In the first phase, the placenta begins to react sharply to any changes that occur in the body of a woman. She works with increased strength if the fair sex is diagnosed with a prolonged pregnancy. Also, a similar ailment develops against the background of gestosis in a mild form and with an increase in cholesterol in the body of the expectant mother.
In the process of the second phase, the placenta loses its previous activity. At the same time, its indicators go beyond the norm. During this period, lipid growth is observed, and the activity of hormones, on the contrary, decreases. Such changes result in a mild degree of gestosis, hypertension, heart defects and other diseases.
In the third phase, the placenta completely malfunctions. As a result of this, the blood circulation is seriously impaired in the fetus. This phase of placental insufficiency leads to serious delays in the process of fetal development. This can lead to hypoxia and death.
It is also worth considering why a similar ailment often appears in women bearing a baby.
Placental insufficiency of the 1st degree: causes
This kind of pathology is manifested primarily due to genetic disorders associated with the fetus itself. This occurs in rare cases when the genetic material of the parents contains certain errors. Trisomy can be detected in the fetus. This means that it immediately has three identical types of chromosomes. Deletion and more can also be diagnosed.
Another reason for the development of utero-placental insufficiency of the 1st degree is that the mother could suffer from serious infectious ailments during the first 16 weeks of bearing the baby. In this case, viruses or bacteria in her body could provoke similar fetal abnormalities.
Also, insufficient activity of the ovaries often leads to this stage of the development of the disease. For example, if the female body produces insufficient amounts of progesterone, which is necessary for a full pregnancy.
Placental insufficiency of the 2nd degree: why it develops
In this case, the most common reason is that a woman has certain biological characteristics that lead to such troubles. It is also worth considering the age of the future mother. If she is not yet 18 years old or more than 30, then in this case the body may not be able to fully cope with the bearing of the baby. In the first case, he is not yet fully prepared for such shocks, and in the second, he may be too "worn out" for such events.
Also, the lifestyle of the expectant mother can also become the cause of placental insufficiency during pregnancy. If a woman eats poorly, continues to smoke, drink or use narcotic drugs, then all this will adversely affect the emerging fetus.
Particular caution should also be taken for those who, through their work, are forced to come into contact with aggressive chemicals or poisons. Also, fetal abnormalities and a violation of the formation of the placenta can be caused by the fact that a woman, due to her profession, is forced to constantly work with X-ray equipment or in conditions of extremely high or low temperatures. Excessive physical exertion, which is categorically contraindicated to ladies in position, can also negatively affect.
Also, speaking about the causes of placental insufficiency, it is worth paying attention to whether a woman suffers from chronic ailments. For example, if she was previously diagnosed with kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, high blood sugar or hormonal disorders, then all this can lead to unpleasant consequences for the fetus, in particular in the process of proper formation of the placenta. You should also be careful for those who suffer from pathologies of the thyroid gland and blood diseases.
It is also worth carefully studying the medical history of the expectant mother. Very often, placental insufficiency is experienced by women who underwent a course of treatment for infertility, survived a miscarriage. Any complications that were recorded during a previous pregnancy can result in consequences that affect the proper functioning of the internal organs and the formation of the placenta necessary for the development of the baby.
If a woman had an abortion or she had a malformation of the uterus, then this can also affect the process of bearing the fetus.
Risk factors
The most cautious thing is to be those women who lead the wrong lifestyle, suffer from obesity and constant stress and depression.
Serious gynecological ailments can also lead to serious problems in the present. For example, if a woman suffered from endometrial lesions. As a rule, this is caused by an incorrectly performed abortion procedure. Also, more often it is for the fair sex to have a doctor examine and take tests, who have previously been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. The same applies to those who have been treated for infections such as chlamydia and other pelvic gynecological diseases.
However, if there were no problems earlier, then this does not mean that you can relax. During the current pregnancy, a variety of complications that can provoke placental insufficiency can also develop. For example, if a woman suffers from bleeding during the second trimester of bearing a baby. The same applies to those who are diagnosed with low water or polyhydramnios.
Women with a negative Rh factor need to be double cautious. This indicator is very dangerous. In some situations, pregnancy is completely contraindicated for women.
Symptoms
If we talk about the manifestation of placental insufficiency, then its presence is almost impossible to determine on its own. As a rule, when the first serious symptoms appear, the fetus already suffers rather serious injuries incompatible with life. In order to diagnose the first manifestations of this ailment, a comprehensive examination is necessary. Based on the data obtained, a specialist will be able to see the main manifestations of placental insufficiency. These include:
- Partial reconstruction of arterial vessels. However, in 56% of cases, such a clinical picture is characteristic of the normal bearing of the baby. Therefore, the doctor also pays attention to the size of the fibroids, if detected. If the nodes are quite large, then it is likely that the uteroplacental arteries were deformed.
- Also, with the development of placental insufficiency, dead sites can be seen.
- A too thin muscle membrane, which is located between the myoma and the fetal egg itself, can signal a possible problem.
Treatment
If we talk about therapeutic measures, then first of all, doctors try to establish blood flow in the uterus. Also, in the process of treating placental insufficiency, preventive measures are taken to eliminate the likelihood of delayed fetal development. This takes into account the size and condition of the baby.
Also at this stage, doctors are trying to choose the best time for childbirth and their type. In some situations, the birth of a baby in the natural way becomes impossible, then a cesarean section is performed.
One of the main stages of treatment is careful monitoring of any changes in the condition of the fetus. To do this, without fail, a weekly ultrasound scan is performed. It is also required to measure the speed of blood flow in the uterus and its main vessels. A similar check is carried out with a frequency of 3-5 days.
Cardiotocography is also performed. This procedure is a record of how synchronously the contractions of the heart muscle of the fetus are made. This event must be performed daily.
Also, treatment includes taking medications. First of all, the doctor prescribes drugs that can significantly improve blood flow. Angioprotectors are also used, the activity of which is aimed at protecting the vessels from possible damage. In some situations, it is necessary to reduce muscle tension directly in the uterus. For this, the doctor prescribes tocolytics.
Since a woman in this period is experiencing tremendous stress, additional stress can only aggravate the situation. Therefore, the fair sex is recommended to take light sedatives. Also, the doctor prescribes a course of general strengthening agents, which are able to stabilize the state of the woman in labor and to establish the work of the immune system.
If a woman was diagnosed with decompensated insufficiency, then in this case there is a serious delay in the development of the fetal egg. In such situations, urgent hospitalization is required.
Possible complications
As mentioned earlier, such a pathology can lead to hypoxia and delayed fetal development. All these negative phenomena can lead to its intrauterine death.
If the baby is nevertheless matured and born, then the development of pneumonia, pathological jaundice and other ailments of the skin is possible.
Placental insufficiency of the fetus can lead to prematurity, even if the birth took place at the prescribed time. In this case, the mass of the baby can barely reach 2000 g, provided that the baby was born at the 38-40th week.
Also, a similar ailment can provoke quite serious perinatal lesions of the fetal nervous system. In this case, the child will have a malfunctioning brain.
Prevention
In order to avoid such problems, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to pregnancy planning and preparation for it. If a woman has certain chronic diseases, then it is necessary to cure them in a timely manner and only then begin to think about the conception of the baby.
The expectant mother must have a good night's sleep and spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. In this case, you must definitely register with the antenatal clinic. The doctor should conduct a comprehensive examination and monitor the health status of the expectant mother at all stages of bearing the baby.
You also need to monitor your diet and without fail to abandon all bad habits. In the diet you need to include as many fruits, vegetables and herbs as possible.