Clinical determinants of placental morphometry and birth weight

Abstract

Placental morphometry and fetal growth trajectory are directly related to maternal health profile. Inutero environment influences the placental morphometry and the foetal growth, any imbalance in the equilibrium of this triad leads to adverse pregnancy outcome and long term risk of chronic diseases in the newborn. Present study was conducted on 164 consecutive singleton deliveries from a teaching hospital of North Karnataka, India from Sept 2012 to Jan 2013. The study was designed to explore the influence of the adverse pregnancy symptoms and conditions on the birth weight and placental morphometry. The Mean and standard deviation (SD) of placental morphometry; weight, volume, surface area and thickness were 414.7± 110.5gm, 363.1±113.2ml, 223.7±54.7sqcm, and 2.1±0.5 cm respectively with birth weight mean±SD 2536.1±675.5gm. Mild vomiting exhibited increase in birth weight and placental morphometry. Rise in either systolic or diastolic blood pressure exhibited positive and significant relationship with; placental weight, thickness (p<0.01) volume, and birth weight (p<0.05). Mild oedema, severe anaemia and protienuria were associated with decreased birth weight and placental morphometry, but not significantly. The results of the present study will help clinicians to correlate the adverse pregnancy symptoms and conditions with growth of placenta and fetus. Severe adverse pregnancy symptoms and conditions lead to abnormal placental morphometry and birth weight reflecting the worsening of pregnancy outcome.