Prevalence of placental pathology in low birthweight infants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of placental pathology among low birthweight infants delivered at Srinagarind Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Descriptive study of 114 placentas from infants weighing between 500 and 2,499 grams delivered between June 2002 and June 2004 in the labour room, Srinagarind Hospital. Placentas from low birthweight infants were examined by a perinatal pathologist in the surgical pathology room, department of pathology, faculty of medicine, Khon Kaen University. The demographic data of the mothers, the gestational age of the infants by obstetric information and according to the Ballard score and placental examinations were collected and analyzed. The placental examinations included both macroscopic and microscopic studies. RESULTS: The prevalence of placental pathology in low birthweight infants was 80.7%. The four types of placental pathology were an increased placental to fetal weight ratio, infarction, vascular abnormalities of the decidua, and inflammation in 64.1, 30.4, 20.6 and 18.5 percent, respectively. CONCLUSION: All placentas of low birthweight infants should be studied for potential pathologies.

A simple non radioactive method for detecting beta-thalassemia/hbe disease: application to prenatal diagnosis.

We have developed allele specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) that allows rapid screening of the beta E-globin and common beta-thalassemia genes in Thailand. These non-radioactive methods are based on the amplification by the polymerase chain reaction of the beta E and beta-thalassemia specific DNA fragments using specific primers. With this approach, both heterozygote and homozygote for the disease could readily be identified on agarose gel electrophoresis of the amplified DNA. We have applied the method for a prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia/HbE disease in a Thai family at the second trimester of pregnancy. The result obtained was comparable to that of conventional dot blot hybridization using radioactive probes. The simplicity, accuracy and non isotopic of the approach make it a highly promising method for a carrier screening and a prenatal diagnosis of this common disorder.