This is the second edition of this guideline.The original edition, entitled Placenta Praevia: Diagnosis and Management, was published in January 2001.
Maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality from placenta praevia are considerable and are associated with high demands on health resources.With the rising incidence of caesarean section operations combined with increasing maternal age, the numbers of cases of placenta praevia and its complications will continue to increase, so updating the guideline for this condition is timely.The purpose of this guideline is to address the methods of diagnosing placenta praevia and placenta praevia accreta and their clinical management in both the antenatal and peripartum periods. Placenta praevia exists when the placenta is inserted wholly or in part into the lower segment of the uterus. If it lies over the cervical os, it is considered a major praevia, if not, then minor praevia exists.This diagnosis has evolved from the original clinical I–IV grading system and is determined by ultrasonic imaging techniques relating the leading edge of the placenta to the cervical os. Management decisions for women with placenta praevia are based on clinical and ultrasound findings.
This guideline can be downloaded as a pdf using the link below.
