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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment for placenta previa depends on various factors, including:
- The amount of vaginal bleeding
- Whether the bleeding has stopped
- Your baby's gestational age
- Your health
- Your baby's health
- The position of the placenta and the baby
For little or no bleeding
If you have marginal placenta previa or another form of placenta previa but little or no bleeding, your health care provider may recommend bed rest at home. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to lie in bed most of the time —sitting and standing only when necessary. You'll need to avoid sex and vaginal exams, which can trigger bleeding. Exercise is usually off-limits, too. Discuss the do's and don'ts with your health care provider — and be prepared to seek emergency medical care if you begin to bleed.
If your placenta doesn't cover your cervix, you may be allowed to attempt a vaginal delivery. If you begin to bleed heavily, you may need an emergency C-section.
For heavy bleeding
If you're bleeding, you may need bed rest in the hospital. If the bleeding is severe, you may need a blood transfusion to replace lost blood. You may also benefit from medications to prevent premature labor.
Your health care provider will likely plan a C-section as soon as the baby can be safely delivered, ideally after 36 weeks of pregnancy. If it's not possible to wait, you will need an earlier C-section. In this case, you may be given corticosteroids to speed your baby's lung development. In as little as 48 hours, these potent medications can help your baby's lungs prepare for life outside the uterus.
For bleeding that won't stop
If your bleeding can't be controlled or your baby is in distress, you may need an emergency C-section — even if the baby is premature.
- Lockwood CJ, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of placenta previa. http://www.uptodate.com/hom. Accessed April 17, 2009.
- Sakornbut E, et al. Late pregnancy bleeding. American Family Physician. 2007;75:1199.
- Zeltzer JS. Vaginal bleeding in late pregnancy. In: Rakel RE, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2008. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/132444171-3/831220627/1621/508.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4435-2..50256-9_4080. Accessed April 17, 2009.
- Lockwood CJ, et al. Management of placenta previa. http://www.uptodate.com/hom. Accessed April 17, 2009.
