Gross Morphometric Assessment Of The Human Placenta With Reference To Neonatal Indices

ABSTRACT

The human placenta is considered as a mirror image of the neonate. The placenta provides an indirect linkbetween the maternal circulation and that of the foetus and serves as the organ for exchange of materialsthrough the process of diffusion. In evaluating the relationship between placental indices and neonatal outcome,a total of 236 placentae were obtained from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospitalin Kumasi for this study. Placental indices measured were the placental weight, diameter and thickness whereasthose of the neonates were Neonatal weight, head circumference and length. Mean placental indices for weight,diameter and thickness were 578.81 g, 17.40 cm and 2.04 cm respectively. The mean neonatal indices were 3.24kg, 34.27 cm and 50.64 cm for weight, head circumference and length respectively. Neonatal weight correlatedsignificantly with placental weight, neonatal length and neonatal head circumference. The strong correlationbetween neonatal weight and placental weight as well as placental volume suggests that the healthy developmentof the foetus depends on a healthy placenta. This study further affirms that the placenta should be criticallyexamined in order to effectively monitor and manage adverse neonatal outcome.