Sonographically thick placenta: a marker for increased perinatal risk--a prospective cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Fetal Medicine
• Diagnostic Ultrasound

Background:

• Placental thickness is a key indicator of fetal well-being.
• Abnormal placental growth can be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
• Routine ultrasound monitoring allows for assessment of placental development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normal placental thickness throughout pregnancy using ultrasound.
• To investigate the correlation between a sonographically thick placenta and perinatal mortality and morbidity.
• To compare perinatal outcomes in pregnancies with and without a thick placenta.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 561 normal singleton pregnancies.
• Placental thickness measured by routine sonographic examination.
• A thick placenta was defined as above the 90th percentile for gestational age.
• Comparison of perinatal mortality, morbidity, and neonatal birth weight between thick-placenta and control groups.

Main Results:

• A linear increase in placental thickness correlated with gestational age.
• Significantly higher perinatal mortality rates in the thick-placenta group (6.82% vs 0.66%).
• Increased incidence of both small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) neonates in the thick-placenta group.
• Higher birth weights (>4000g) and lower birth weights (<2500g) were observed in the thick-placenta group.

Conclusions:

• Sonographically thick placenta is associated with increased perinatal risk.
• Increased perinatal mortality in thick-placenta pregnancies may be related to fetal anomalies.
• Thick placentas are linked to higher rates of both SGA and LGA infants, indicating potential fetal growth disturbances.