No abstract

ObjectivesResults Logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced maternal age (odds ratio (OR), 5.4; 95% CI, previous Cesarean section (OR, 20.4; 95% CI,) and sponge-like findings in the cervix (OR, 5.6; 95% CI, were associated with massive bleeding (> 2500 mL). Placental adherence occurred in five cases and was more frequent in cases where the placenta was located at the site of the scar of a previous Cesarean section (OR, 123.1; 95% CI, and where there was lack of a clear zone (OR, 48.0; 95% CI,. Conclusions

Objectives

In the maternal and child health statistics of Japan for 2003, perinatal deaths were most frequent in pregnant women with abnormalities of the placenta, umbilical cord, and fetal membrane. Despite advances in perinatal medicine, approximately 2% of low-risk pregnant women still require an emergency cesarean section after the onset of labor. Because it is likely that half of these cases are associated with placental and umbilical cord abnormalities, it is thought that prenatal detection of such abnormalities would reduce the number of emergency cesarean sections in low-risk women. In our previous studies, some abnormalities of the placenta and umbilical cord were associated with abnormalities of cord insertion. Furthermore, we reported that prenatal detection of velamentous cord insertion (VCI) reduced the number of emergency cesarean sections in low-risk women. In this review, we describe the prenatal detection of abnormalities of umbilical cord insertion and the management of VCI based on our current clinical data.