Placental Insufficiency
Alternate Names : Placental Dysfunction
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Most cases of placental insufficiency and IUGR cannot be prevented. However, there are several tests that can be done early in pregnancy to help detect problems. These include:
pregnancy ultrasound scans to check the condition and size of the placenta
alpha-fetoprotein levels in a sample of the mother's blood
amniocentesis to check for problems with the baby's chromosomes
Pregnant women can also do the following to help prevent these conditions:
avoid close contact with persons carrying the rubella virus or cytomegalovirus
avoid toxoplasmosis, by not coming in contact with uncooked meat and animal excrement, especially from cats
avoid alcohol, smoking, and illicit drugs
get treatment for high blood pressure and diabetes
Before becoming pregnant, women should follow a healthy diet that contains folate. This can help to decrease the rate of certain fetal anomalies.
What are the long-term effects of the condition?
Long-term effects of placental insufficiency depend on the underlying cause. During the pregnancy a mother may be restricted to bed and have to take several precautions.
The long-term effects for the a baby born following placenta insufficiency can be serious. After birth, he or she will tend to remain physically small. There is a higher risk for neurological and intellectual impairments. Major disabilities include severe mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and seizures.
What are the risks to others?
With placental insufficiency, there are many risks to the fetus during the pregnancy, at delivery, and after delivery. These risks include:
8-fold higher risk of death during delivery
5-fold higher risk of poor oxygenation at birth that may lead to cerebral palsy and other complications
hypothermia, or low body temperature
hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar
30 to 40% chance of learning disabilities
premature delivery
poor tolerance of labor
increased chance of cesarean delivery
increased chance of having birth defects
increased chance of meconium aspiration, in which the baby inhales some of the amniotic fluid during labor
polycythemia, which is an excess of red blood cells
hypocalcemia, which is too little calcium in the blood
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