Placenta Accreta

A woman’s placenta is one of the most important parts of her body, especially while she’s pregnant. It plays a major role, as it provides the oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby inside the womb. During a normal pregnancy, the placenta attaches itself to the uterine wall, however, the placenta doesn’t always attach itself in the correct spot. There are many different forms of placenta complications, distinguished by their depth of penetration, other forms include:

• Placenta Previa
• Placenta Accreta
• Placenta Increta
• Placenta Percreta
• Partial Placenta Previa
• Total Placenta Previa
• Marginal Placenta Previa
• Low-lying Placenta

For a doctor to determine which type of placenta condition a woman has, depends on where the placenta attaches itself. Placenta accreta is when the placenta attaches itself too deep in the uterine wall. Depending on how deep and severe the attachment is, will determine whether the placenta is categorized as accreta, increta, or percreta.

Causes of Placenta Accreta

Although there is no scientific evidence, many experts believe placenta accreta is caused by previous cesarean deliveries and placenta previa. Placenta accreta happens to 5-10% of all women who have placenta previa. Plus, the chance of having placenta accreta increases with each c-section or multiple births.

Types of Placenta Accreta

There are three different types of placenta accreta, let’s go over each.

Placenta Accreta- occurs when the placenta attaches too deep in the uterine wall but doesn’t come into contact with the uterine muscle. This is the most common form, occurring in 75% of all cases.

Placenta Increta- occurs when the placenta attaches even deeper into the uterine wall and does come into contact with the uterine muscle, accounting for approximately 15% of all cases.

Placenta Percreta- occurs when the placenta penetrates through the entire uterine wall and attaches to another organ. This is the least common form of the three of these, accounting for about 5% of all cases.

Risks of Placenta Accreta

There are a few risks associated with placenta accreta. For most pregnancies, premature delivery is the primary concern. Bleeding during the third trimester is a big indication that placenta accreta exists. Hemorrhaging during manual attempts to detach the placenta can occur, and if the hemorrhaging is severe enough, it can lead to death. There is also a risk of damaging the uterus and other organs during the removal of the placenta.

Unfortunately, hysterectomies are the most common intervention. And what’s more unfortunate is that currently, there is nothing that can be done to prevent it or treat it once the placenta accreta has been diagnosed. Most health care professionals will monitor the expectant mother very closely for the remainder of her pregnancy to ensure no further complications arise. Discuss all options with your health care provider, even if you haven’t experienced it yet.