Risk factors

Factors that can increase the risk of placental abruption include:

• Placental abruption in a previous pregnancy that wasn't caused by abdominal trauma
• Chronic high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Hypertension-related problems during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome or eclampsia
• A fall or other type of blow to the abdomen
• Smoking
• Cocaine use during pregnancy
• Early rupture of membranes, which causes leaking amniotic fluid before the end of pregnancy
• Infection inside of the uterus during pregnancy (chorioamnionitis)
• Being older, especially older than 40