How is placenta previa treated?

How a woman with placenta previa is treated depends on her stage of pregnancy, the severity of the bleeding and the condition of mother and baby. The goal, whenever possible, is to prolong pregnancy until the baby is at or near full term. Cesarean delivery is recommended for nearly all women with placenta previa because c-sections usually can prevent severe bleeding. When a woman develops significant bleeding due to placenta previa after about 34 weeks of pregnancy, her provider may recommend a prompt c-section. Babies born after this time usually do well, though some have mild prematurity-related health problems during the newborn period. Women who develop bleeding as a result of placenta previa before about 34 weeks are generally admitted to the hospital, where they can be monitored closely. If tests show that mother and baby are doing well, the provider will probably attempt to prolong the pregnancy. In some cases, when there has been a significant amount of bleeding, the mother ...  more