Placenta previa
The placenta covering the exit. A clear reason for cesarean.
Placenta previa means the placenta lies over the opening of the cervix. Vaginal birth is not possible, because the placenta would have to deliver first, causing catastrophic bleeding. A cesarean is required.
Prior cesarean raises the risk. In a systematic review of 21 studies and more than 2.2 million deliveries, previa occurred in 10 per 1,000 deliveries in women with one prior cesarean and 28 per 1,000 in women with three or more.
Previa and prior cesarean together are especially dangerous, because that combination is what drives placenta accreta. See the accreta topic next.
Where this comes from:
285. Marshall NE, Fu R, Guise JM. Impact of multiple cesarean deliveries on maternal morbidity: a systematic review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011;205(3):262.e1-262.e8.
Covered in the essential classes
Continue
More from During pregnancy
This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.