Dr Chris Steele discusses Vasa Praevia, a rare condition in the placenta or umbilical cord.

All about Vasa Praevia

Vasa Praevia is a condition that kills around 300 newborn babies a year, and occurs when the blood vessels from the placenta or umbilical cord block the birth canal and rupture as the waters break.

When the cervix dilates, the vessels can tear, causing the (usually full term) foetus to haemorrhage. When the baby drops into the pelvis, the vessels are compressed, cutting off the baby's blood supply and causing oxygen deprivation.

This condition CAN be detected in pre-natal scans, but at the moment these scans aren't standard procedure on the NHS.

According to official figures, Vasa Praevia kills at least one baby in every 2,500 - more than 300 a year. It occurs when blood vessels from the placenta or umbilical cord block the birth canal and rupture as the waters break. Undiagnosed, it is fatal in 95% of cases, but almost every baby survives if it is picked up by ultrasound scanning. AT THE MOMENT, SCANNING ISN'T PART OF STANDARD PROCEDURE.

However, there are sime signs that can indicate a higher risk, such as:
  • Those with painless bleeding (at any stage in pregnancy)
  • Those with low-lying placenta or placenta praevia
  • Those with bi-lobed or succenturiate-lobed placenta
  • In-vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies
  • Multiple pregnancies
  • History of previous uterine surgery including c-section
If vasa previa is diagnosed, delivery by C-SECTION before labour begins can save the baby's life. Ideally, it should be performed early enough to avoid an emergency, but late enough to avoid problems associated with prematurely. In cases diagnosed pre-natally the infant survival rate is 100%.

More information
You can get more information from this web site: http://www.vasapraevia.co.uk/


This content was created on Wed 28 March 2007

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