MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN PLACENTAE IN PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension is a common pathological problem which leads to placental insufficiency. This in turn leads to significant foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study is to study the morphological changes in placentae in Pregnancy Induced Hypertension.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Anatomy, Nobel Medical College and Teaching Hospital from May 2021 to April 2022. A total of 100 placentas were collected from postpartum mothers with Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel (2007) and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5.

Results: The mean weight of placentae in this study was 486.68±65.86. The mean diameter was 17.84±1.89. The mean thickness was 2.67±0.45. There was a strong positive correlation between weight of placentae and weight of neonate ((r = 0.434, p<0.01). Similarly, there was a positive correlation between placental thickness and placental diameter with the neonatal weight(r=0.39, p<0.01) and (r=0.318, p<0.01) respectively.

Conclusions: There is significant reduction in weight and dimensions of placentae in Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. These may result in placental insufficiency as a result of compromised utero-placental blood flow. This may have an adverse effect on the neonatal birth weight.