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More about Placenta Previa:
Definition Causes and symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis Prevention Resources |
Diagnosis of placenta previa is suspected whenever bright red, painless vaginal bleeding occurs during the course of a pregnancy. The diagnosis can be confirmed by performing an ultrasound examination. This will allow the location of the placenta to be evaluated.
While many conditions during pregnancy require a pelvic examination, in which the health care provider's fingers are inserted into the patient's vagina, such an examination should never be performed if there is any suspicion of placenta previa. Such an examination can disturb the already susceptible placenta, resulting in hemorrhage.
Sometimes placenta previa is found early in a pregnancy, during an ultrasound examination performed for another reason. In these cases, it is wise to have a repeat ultrasound performed later in pregnancy (during the last third of the pregnancy, called the third trimester). A large percentage of these women will have a low-lying placenta, but not a true placenta previa where some or all of the os is covered.
— Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
