Anterior Placenta in Pregnancy: Causes & Effects

Introduction

Placenta is the peculiar organ which usually develops during the pregnancy period of women. It usually starts developing with the fertilization of egg with sperm. It basically acts as a medium between the mother and child. It provides all the necessary things to the baby from mother, i.e., blood supply, oxygen, food, nutrients, and also helps in carrying the waste into maternal circulation, which is further eliminated by mother’s kidney.
Placenta is attached to baby via umbilical cord, therefore after delivery of the baby it is also delivered. As now after delivery baby can live by own self, there is no need of placenta for baby or mother. General placement of the placenta is the fundus part (upper part) of the uterus. Other locations are lateral, anterior, and posterior where a placenta can be attached.

What do you understand by this blog:

After reading this blog, you can easily understand what is anterior placenta and how common it is. There is broad explanation given about anterior placenta and its other attachment and its effect on your pregnancy. So, you get an idea whether you have any need to consult any doctor or not.
Still, if you have any doubts left, then Nira, an AI tool at the end of this blog, can clear your doubts regarding this blog.

What is anterior placenta?

Anterior placenta basically means that the attachment of placenta is in the anterior wall of the uterus, close to the abdominal wall of mother. Don’t worry, it usually doesn’t mean that you have to be concerned about it. During development of the placenta, it can be attached anywhere in the uterus. Its common attachment is at the fundus part of the uterus. Other than this, it can be attached anywhere in the uterus, like at lateral walls, posterior, anterior, or at the lower segment of the uterus. Anterior placenta is a kind of cushion between the baby and abdomen of the mother. It can be found via ultrasound between 18 to 21 weeks of the gestation period.

Symptoms and cause:

Having anterior placenta doesn’t mean you suffer from any specific symptoms, as this position of the placenta doesn’t harm the developing baby or the mother until you have some complication. Anyhow, some symptoms which you can experience are:

1. Severe back pain
2. Abdominal pain
3. Delayed fetal movement sensation
4. Difficulty during fetal kicks count
5. Vaginal bleeding
6. Fetal uterine contractions

Having anterior placenta doesn’t need any specific cause; it can happen as the fertilized egg develops and placenta develops at the same place in the uterine walls. Position of the placenta doesn’t affect any function of the placenta; it normally performs its function without concern for the position of the placenta.

How it can affect your pregnancy?

Anterior placenta doesn’t affect the pregnancy in a serious way. Any mild changes can be noticeable due to the anterior position of the placenta. It mainly includes:-

1. Heart rate of the developing baby:- Heartbeat of the baby can be heard after a month of intrauterine life. It can be heard by using Doppler ultrasound, in which the instrument is placed on the abdomen; it helps in detecting the heart rate of the developing baby. In case of anterior placenta, due to the anterior placement of the placenta, it can act as a barrier which leads to a delay in detecting fetal heart sound.
2. Fetal movement sensation:- In general, fetal movement is felt during the 18th week of pregnancy, but in the case of anterior placenta, it may delay these fetal movement sensations because of anterior placement of the placenta. So it can be felt around or after the 20th week of pregnancy in case of anterior placenta.

How common is it?

Anterior placenta is a kind of normal position of the uterus. It doesn’t cause any concern until some complication happens. It mainly occurs in 50% of pregnancies. Very few ones get complications or severe symptoms of this.

What is normal placenta positions?

Placenta is a peculiar organ which can be attached anywhere in the uterus where implantation occurs:

1. Posterior:- Placenta is attached to the posterior wall of the uterus.
2. Anterior:- Placenta is attached to the anterior wall of the uterus.
3. Low segment:- Placenta is attached to the lower part of the uterus.
4. Fundal:- Placenta is attached to the fundus part of the uterus.
5. Lateral:- Placenta is attached to the right or left side of the uterus wall.

Does anterior placenta change to posterior?

After the implantation of the placenta, it cannot change its position inside the uterus. Once it is attached to the uterus wall, it can’t migrate from there.

Apparent placental migration:- As the uterus grows, especially during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, the lower part of the uterus stretches and pulls upward. This makes the placenta that seems low-lying in early pregnancy appear to have moved higher later on.

Complications of anterior placenta

There are chances that having the condition of anterior placenta can cause complications like placenta previa, back pain, or C-section. However, there are fewer chances that the condition of anterior placenta can cause these complications.

1. Placenta previa:- In this condition, the placenta moves downward and can cover the opening of the cervix partially or fully, which can lead to heavy menstrual bleeding and increase the chances of further complications.
2. C-section:- If anterior placenta causes the condition of placenta previa, then it is mandatory to undergo C-section for the delivery of the baby. Because in placenta previa, the placenta covers the vaginal opening; therefore, vaginal delivery is not preferred in this case.
3. Longer back labor:- In the case of anterior placenta, the baby is positioned in OP (occiput posterior) position, which makes the spine of the baby align with the mother’s spine. This causes a longer period of labor pain, specifically at the back.

Diagnosis:

It generally cannot be understood by any physical examination or symptoms. An ultrasound is performed around 18 to 21 weeks of the gestational period. In this, the doctor performs an ultrasound to know the size of the baby and can locate the position of the placenta too. But as the size of the uterus increases, the placenta can move a little bit, so the exact position of the placenta is not known before 20 weeks.

Management and treatment:

Does this condition – anterior placenta – require any treatment? Usually, this condition doesn’t require any treatment, as anterior placenta rarely leads to any complication. Supportive treatment is only required when you may suffer from these complications (placenta previa, etc.).

FAQs

Q1. Does anterior placenta mean you are having a baby girl?
Ans. No, anterior placenta doesn’t mean that you are having a baby girl. Chances for both sexes are the same.

Q2. How do you know you are having anterior placenta?
Ans. It can be diagnosed by ultrasound done during 18 to 21 weeks of pregnancy.

Q3. Is vaginal delivery possible with condition anterior placenta?
Ans. Yes, it is possible until you are having complications like placenta previa.

Q4. How can risk of anterior placenta be reduced?
Ans. There is no method or way to reduce the chances of having the condition of placenta previa.

Q5. Does anterior placenta affect C-section?
Ans. No, anterior placenta doesn’t affect C-section delivery.

A note from Femwise Health:

If you are having anterior placenta, you don’t have to worry; it usually doesn’t affect your pregnancy. There is a very rare chance that you get complications because of anterior placenta. It’s just that you may feel the baby’s movement later than normal. Still, if you feel worried, you can consult your doctor and get to know about the health status of your baby.