28/03/2026
UTERINE INVERSION
By Chipo James Mainda
Uterine inversion (inverted uterus) is a rare emergency complication during childbirth where the uterus turns partially or completely inside out. With healthy deliveries, the baby exits the uterus and travels through the va**nal ca**l to be born.
Shortly after, the placenta will be delivered, an organ that allows you to share nutrients with your baby during pregnancy. The placenta is called “afterbirth” once it leaves the woman's body. The uterus maintains its shape throughout delivery. With uterine inversion, the top part of the uterus collapses inside the uterine cavity.
It may even turn inside-out and extend outside the va**na. When this happens, severe blood loss, shock and death can follow.
There are four classifications of uterine inversion, depending on how inside out the uterus is and the extent that it projects onto other organs:
* 1st degree (incomplete): The top of the uterus has collapsed inside the uterine cavity.
* 2nd degree (complete): The top part of the uterus folds into the opening of the uterus (cervix), like a sock that is turned inside out.
* 3rd degree (pr*****ed): The top part of the uterus enters the deepest part of the va**nal ca**l.
* 4th degree (total): Both the uterus and va**na protrude outside the body.
The majority of people with uterine inversion fall into the 2nd or 3rd-degree categories.
Not enough evidence exists to know for sure what causes an inverted uterus. A popular theory is that the uterus may invert if the nurse tugs on the umbilical cord too hard when trying to deliver the placenta. This isn’t an error on the nurse’s part.
Instead, it’s one of many complications that can occur during delivery. The midwife/nurse may pull on the umbilical cord, the organ that connects the baby to the placenta, while placing gentle pressure on the abdomen to coax the placenta out.
This is a delivery method called the Crede maneuver. This process is more likely to cause the uterus to invert if:
* The placenta has implanted on the top of your uterus (fundal placental implantation).
* The uterus doesn’t contract after delivery (uterine atony)
It’s hard to prove this theory, though, because uterine inversion has taken place outside these conditions. Also, delivery methods like the Crede maneuver are common and rarely lead to uterine inversion. Uterine inversion can cause severe blood loss and shock.
Symptoms will vary, depending on how extreme the inversion is:
* Vaginal bleeding that may be mild or severe.
* Pain in the lower abdomen and a feeling of downward pressure.
* A smooth, round mass bulging from the va**na.
* Dropping blood pressure.
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