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Placenta Previa and Placenta Accreta

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Bleeding During Pregnancy

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Abstract

The term placenta previa refers to a placenta that is abnormally located in the lower part of the uterus, often covering the cervix. The words are derived from the Latin pre, meaning before, and via, which comes from the same derivation as “viaduct” and “avenue,” meaning passageway. Thus, placenta previa means that the placenta lies before the baby in the birth canal. The placenta normally implants in the upper uterus, but in fewer than 1% of pregnancies it implants in the lower uterine segment. It was probably the French man-midwife Portal in 1683 who first described a placenta previa [1]. Placenta previa is one of the leading causes of bleeding during the third trimester. The condition is associated with significantly increased perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity [2]. Perhaps the most important fetal consequence is prematurity with its associated sequelae, such as respiratory distress syndrome, high perinatal mortality, and long-term neurodevelopmental handicap. Placenta previa is also associated with significant maternal hemorrhage, a need for surgical delivery, placenta accreta, and cesarean hysterectomy [2].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ, USA

    Yinka Oyelese

  2. UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Yinka Oyelese

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  1. Yinka Oyelese
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  2. Joseph C. Canterino
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Correspondence to Yinka Oyelese .

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  1. , Department of Ob/Gyn, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 151, Be'er-Sheva, 84841, Israel

    Eyal Sheiner

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Oyelese, Y., Canterino, J.C. (2011). Placenta Previa and Placenta Accreta. In: Sheiner, E. (eds) Bleeding During Pregnancy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9810-1_8

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