Does placenta previa cause preterm birth?
Placenta previa is likely to lead to premature birth. Why is that? Placenta previa refers to the condition where the placenta is positioned lower in the uterus, and the most common symptom is recurrent, painless bleeding during pregnancy. This is because the low-lying placenta often leads to frequent bleeding. If the bleeding is minimal, there is still hope to maintain the pregnancy, allowing the fetus to grow longer inside the uterus. However, in the event of heavy bleeding, if the baby remains in the uterus without delivery, a critical situation can arise due to blood loss, potentially leading to the disappearance of fetal heart activity. At this point, the pregnancy would need to be terminated, thus often resulting in premature birth.