The International Vasa Previa Foundation Presentation.

2. Vasa Previa
Information provided by:
the
International Vasa Previa Foundation, Inc.

3. What is Vasa Previa?
Vasa previa is a rarely reported condition
(1:2,500 births) in which fetal blood
vessels from the placenta or umbilical cord
cross the entrance to the birth canal,
beneath the baby.

4. Vasa Previa

5. Two Forms of Vasa Previa
• Velamentous insertion of the
umbilical cord
• Normal cord insertion with vessels
running between placental lobes in a
bi-lobed or succenturiate
(accessory) lobed placenta

6. Velamentous Cord Insertion
Velamentous
insertion means that
the fetal vessels,
unprotected by
Wharton’s jelly,
traverse the
membranes before
they come together
into the umbilical
cord.

7. Bilobed Placenta
A bilobed placenta
consists of two parts
of the placenta.
Vasa previa may
result from vessels
running in the
membranes
between the two
lobes.

8. Succenturiate Lobed Placenta
A succenturiate
(accessory)
lobe is a second
or third
placental lobe
that is much
smaller than the
largest lobe.

9. Risk Factors
The International Vasa Previa Foundation (IVPF)
believes that women with the following
conditions are at risk and should be investigated
with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound:
• Low lying placenta or placenta previa
• Velamentous cord insertion
• Bilobed or succenturiate lobed placenta
• Multiple pregnancies
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies
• History of uterine surgery or D & C
• Painless bleeding

10. Routine Ultrasound
• The IVPF believes that any woman with the
previous conditions should be thoroughly
scanned with transvaginal color Doppler
ultrasound for the presence of aberrant vessels
near the internal os.
• The IVPF also supports making color Doppler
scanning of the placental end of the cord a
standard part of the protocol during all routine
obstetrical ultrasounds.

11. Management of
Diagnosed Vasa Previa
• Bedrest
• Hospital admission in the third trimester
• Steroid injections to promote fetal lung
maturation
• Elective Cesarean section at 35 weeks

12. How to Diagnose Vasa Previa
Vasa previa can be diagnosed by using
transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound.

13. What to Do When Vasa Previa
Is Suspected after a Bleed
• Emergency C-section
• Aggressive resuscitation of the baby with blood
transfusion following delivery
• Ogita blood testing to determine origin of blood
loss (maternal or fetal) for abnormally heavy
bloody shows or bleeds that are not considered
life threatening when the fetus is not in distress

14. International Vasa Previa Foundation
• The International Vasa Previa Foundation
agrees that vasa previa can, but should not, be a
devastating complication of pregnancy.
• The goals of the IVPF are to raise awareness
about vasa previa and seek to adjust the
medical rules and protocols worldwide such that
fatal outcomes associated with vasa previa can
be prevented.

15. It only takes a moment
to diagnose life…