Morphometric Study Of Placenta In Relation To Birth Weight Of Full Term Newborns

ABSTRACT

Background: Placenta is a functional unit between the mother and the fetus. It is the discoid, deciduate,haemochorial, chorioallantoic, endocrine gland which connects developing embryo by umbilical cord to theuterus. It develops from two sources. The fetal component which is the principal component develops fromchorion frondosum and the maternal component from decidua basalis. If the decidual part of the placenta ishealthy, the embryogenesis from germinal period up to the end of fetal period will be healthy. Otherwise it willlead to anomalies of the placenta, umbilical cord and of the fetus including low birth weight. There is a provendirect relationship between placental growth, fetal well-being and finally fetal outcome.Aim: To study the morphometry of placenta in relation to birth weight of full term newborns.Methodology: For the study, 60 discarded placentae were collected at random from deliveries (both vaginal andcaesarian) conducted at the teaching hospital of Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences. Thirty out of the sixtyplacentae were from controls (birth weight > 2500gms) and thirty from low birth weight deliveries (birth weight<2500gms). In the collected placenta, the weight, volume, diameter and thickness of placenta were measured. Thefoeto-placental ratio and placental co-efficient was calculated.Results: Our study demonstrated a significant relationship between placental morphometry and birth weight.Conclusion: Because of the growing evidence of correlation of placental morphology with chronic diseases inlater life, we suggest examination of placenta at the time of birth.