What is the most common cause of placental abruption?

The most common cause of placental abruption is hypertension. This condition can increase the risk of placental abruption through mechanisms such as increased vascular resistance and changes in the uterine blood flow. Chronic hypertension and conditions such as preeclampsia can lead to compromises in the uteroplacental circulation, resulting in the premature detachment of the placenta from the uterine wall. Given that hypertension is relatively prevalent in pregnant women and significantly contributes to adverse outcomes, its role in placental abruption is well recognized in obstetric care.

While trauma, high parity, and cocaine use can also contribute to the incidence of placental abruption, they occur with less frequency compared to the impact of hypertension. Trauma is often associated with external physical forces, high parity relates to the number of births a woman has had, and cocaine use can have significant negative effects but is less common in the population compared to hypertensive disorders. Therefore, hypertension remains the leading risk factor for this serious obstetric complication.