The traditional, main principles of clinical care of a woman with
placental abruption include:
1. early delivery;
2. adequate blood transfusion
3. adequate analgesia for pain relief;
4. monitoring of maternal condition;
5. assessment of fetal condition.
Early delivery is usual. It has been recommended that, if the
baby is alive and the gestation not so early as to make fetal survival
extremely unlikely, delivery should be by caesarean section
(Rasmussen 1996). Even if the fetus is not obviously hypoxic as a
result of placental separation, the effect of the uterine contractions
which almost inevitably follow abruption might further compromise
the supply of oxygen to the fetus through the placenta. Contractions
may also produce shearing forces and therefore the risk
of further separation. If the fetus is already dead, as is often the
case, it is usual to aim for vaginal delivery