Uterine inversion is best described as

• A. The placenta detaches normally and the uterus contracts.
• B. The placenta fails to detach properly and the uterus turns inside out.
• C. The uterus becomes enlarged but not reversed.
• D. The uterus contracts and expulses the placenta normally.

Answer: (B)

Uterine inversion is a postpartum emergency where the uterine fundus collapses inward and may turn inside out, sometimes protruding through the cervix or vagina. This often happens after delivery when the placenta hasn’t detached as expected or when traction on the cord pulls the fundus downward, pulling the uterine wall with it. Because the inverted uterus can still have placental tissue attached, the placenta may not detach normally, and severe bleeding with shock can follow. That combination—the placenta not detaching properly and the uterus reversing its position—best describes the condition. The other statements describe normal placental separation and expulsion or an enlarged uterus without reversal, which do not capture the inversion aspect.