Total water content in different areas of the human term placenta

The authors study the total water content in two different areas (parabasal and subchorial), in 40 normal, full-term placentas. The water content is found to be different in these two areas. As an average, it is 0.90% higher in the parabasal area. This difference persists even after washing off the fetal placental blood by perfusión with saline. The difference in the total water content between both areas, which is added to other differences previously demonstrated, must be related to a different functional role of the placental areas.