Relationship between gross placental characteristics and perinatal outcome of low-risk singleton deliveries
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Date
2016-10
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Publisher
National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Gross examination of the placenta may provide useful insight into the aetiology of newborn and maternal complications. A review of literature revealed only a few epidemiological studies that determined the relationships between placental abnormalities, gestational age and occurrence of adverse outcome in babies of healthy pregnant women in our region. Patients and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, between 1st February and August 2013. Pregnant women in labour at ≥28 weeks’ gestational age with singleton pregnancies were recruited. Gross examination of the placenta and umbilical cord after delivery were performed. Results: Four hundred and twenty-eight singleton deliveries were studied. The average placental weight was 580.8 ± 130.6 g (range = 125–1500 g). The mean values of the umbilical cord length and width were 52.7 ± 10.5 cm and 1.96 ± 1.11 cm, respectively. Placental abnormalities occurred in 1.2%. The umbilical cord was centrally inserted in 290 (67.8%), marginally in 31% of cases. There was significant but weak positive correlation between the placental weight, birth weight and gestational age at 40 weeks (P ≤ 0.001, r = 0.356). Placental weight was directly related to birth weight (P < 0.0001, r = 0.244) and greater in babies with congenital abnormalities (P = 0.002).
Conclusions: There was an association between placental parameters and foetal outcome at birth. Placental weight was positively correlated with birth weight, gestational age and occurrence of congenital abnormalities.
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Keywords
Foetal outcome, Placenta, Placental parameters, Placental weight