Vasa Previa

A rare disorder, Vasa Previa occurs when the fetal blood vessels travel across the fetal membranes without any support from the umbilical cord and placental tissue. The blood vessels travel down across the lower part of the uterus right between the unborn child and the cervical opening. A terrible condition, Vasa Previa has a very high fetal mortality rate due to a number of reasons. The vessels can become pinched when compressed between the baby and the birth canal, or the vessels can actually tear and rupture.

There are two types of Vasa Previa: Multi-Lobed Placenta and Velamentous Insertion of the umbilical cord. Velamentous Insertion occurs when the blood vessels traverse across the amniotic membranes finally meeting at the umbilical cord. This occurs in a very small percentage of pregnancies, but thankfully does not usually cause any harm to the mother or her unborn child. There are also typically no symptoms associated with this type of Vasa Previa during pregnancy.

Multi-lobed placenta Vasa Previa can cause harm to the mother, her child or both. Symptoms of this disorder include bleeding during the first trimester of pregnancy and postpartum hemorrhaging when one lobe fails to separate upon birth. Risk factors for this type of vasa previa include smoking during pregnancy, pregnancy when the mother is over thirty-four, vomiting during the first trimester and diabetes. Proper prenatal care is essential in ensuring a healthy birth. Provided this disorder is detected prior to labor, the baby is more likely to survive than if left undetected.