Previous abruption..still have questions 4 years later

[pamela3340]

I had an abruption 4 years ago with my firstborn child...GA-40wks 3 days....12 hours of labor, bleeding stopped partway through, ended up with c/s due to FOP... ...I noticed bleeding and passing blood chunks as soon as my water broke....but that morning, approximately 3 hours before my water broke, I didn't feel any movement whatsoever and my stomach was very HARD to the touch...but he made it and is a happy, healthy 4 year old.

I still struggle with wrapping my mind around it to this day, and what happened..I didn't have any "risk factors", had a very healthy pregnancy, excellent BP, etc...the only 2 risk factors I have found were 1) my diet (which wasn't the healthiest) and I gained substantial weight (+30lbs), but my sugar was fine throughout the pregnancy, and 2) I lived in a home with a smoker, and was exposed to second hand smoke throughout my entire pregnancy.

I still have to get my records from the birth, however, I remember the doctor telling me after the c-section that the placenta was "normal".

I am wondering, can exposure to second hand smoke increase the risk of an abruption, and if so, is there any research on this. Just curious. I know sometimes these things happen for "no reason", but would like to plan on a VBA2C one day and hope that I can have more light shed on this to make an informed decision!

I always blamed it on the fact I'm a natural redhead

[LemonPie]

mama. I believe I've read that smoking is a risk factor for PA, but it's been a long time since I looked into it and I don't know how second hand smoking would play into that.

I too had an unexpected PA and no risk factors with my last baby. At 38 weeks, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to use the toilet, my water broke and I was hemorrhaging. I also had the hard belly--that and the baby's 'low variability' monitor strip were apparently classic presentations for PA, so they knocked me out and took me back for c-section, where they found I was 50% abrupted. Thankfully we both made it through here fine, too. I've read the risk of having another PA simply because I've had one is about 12%.

[mwherbs]

Here is something from a recently published study,although I didn't include it in these quotes from the abstract women with placental abruption were 3 times more likely to have these antibodies,and even though it is found to be associated they do not think it is important to check/screen all women for it, so you will need to request this test,if you want to be screened for it.

"Serum samples from 17,298 women were tested. Of these, 1,012 (6%) women were identified with positive antithyroid peroxidase antibodies. Women who were antithyroid peroxidase-antibody positive were older, heavier, and more often parous than women with negative antithyroid peroxidase antibodies. "----skipping a bit to keep this under 100 words----------"Seven of the 10 abruptions associated with antithyroid peroxidase antibody occurred in women with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine levels. CONCLUSION:: Antithyroid peroxidase antibodies are present in 6% of the general obstetric population and are associated with a threefold increase in the rate of placental abruption."

[LemonPie]

MWHerbs--thanks for that info. Would you send me the reference info for that study?

[Veritaserum]

Originally Posted by mwherbs

Here is something from a recently published study,although I didn't include it in these quotes from the abstract women with placental abruption were 3 times more likely to have these antibodies,and even though it is found to be associated they do not think it is important to check/screen all women for it, so you will need to request this test,if you want to be screened for it.

"Serum samples from 17,298 women were tested. Of these, 1,012 (6%) women were identified with positive antithyroid peroxidase antibodies. Women who were antithyroid peroxidase-antibody positive were older, heavier, and more often parous than women with negative antithyroid peroxidase antibodies. "----skipping a bit to keep this under 100 words----------"Seven of the 10 abruptions associated with antithyroid peroxidase antibody occurred in women with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine levels. CONCLUSION:: Antithyroid peroxidase antibodies are present in 6% of the general obstetric population and are associated with a threefold increase in the rate of placental abruption."

Wow! Thank you for this! I had a partial abruption with my third baby and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's after the birth of my fifth. My antibody levels tested really high (endo said 800 times normal). I'm glad that I didn't experience PAs with my fourth or fifth. I didn't have any known risk factors for PA and chalked it up to being just a fluke.

[mwherbs]

Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Aug;116(2 Pt 1):381-6.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with thyroid peroxidase antibodies.
Abbassi-Ghanavati M, Casey BM, Spong CY, McIntire DD, Halvorson LM, Cunningham FG.

From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland.

I did want to mention that there is often a connection between certain autoimmune diseases and gluten intolerance, ( thyroid autoimmunity is 1)it isn't 100% by any means but is something to look into if you have a dx

[pamela3340]

thanks

MW Herbs, what is the name of the test I should ask for?

[mwherbs]

Thyroid antibody test will most likely get you there
Lab official name is thyroid peroixidase antibody test
Now this does not account for all cases but it looks like something to look for since you have had an abruption. Take care

[pamela3340]

Thanks mw. When I was pregnant with my dd, I actually entered a study at the hospital I went to for prenatal care...they drew blood to check thyroid levels. I dont' know if this is the same test, or if they tested for antibodies, but I remembered everything was WNL. This was probably around 25 weeks gestation.....but thank you again for the information, I truly appreciate it, and will keep it in mind when (and if) I have another baby one day!

[liz-hippymom]

i had an abruption that killed my baby, and i had no risk factors. i am also a redhead.