Histological characteristics of placentas from assisted reproduction programs

Placentas from assisted reproduction programs are a poorly investigated research material. The aim of this investigation was to perform microscopic examination of placentas from assisted reproduction programs and to compare them with placentas from spontaneous pregnancies. The investigation comprised 12 placentas from assisted reproduction programs and 12 placentas from spontaneous pregnancies. We found a statistically significant increase of villous edema in investigated placentas (p = 0.001). We also found a statistically significantly increased incidence of microcalcifications in placentas from assisted reproduction programs (p = 0.04). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in regard to syncytial knots (X2 = 0.67, p > 0.25). Microscopic examination showed that placentas from assisted reproduction programs present with more frequent pathological findings. Further investigations of placentas from assisted reproduction programs could provide better understanding of different pathological conditions of pregnancies and labor in women with artificial insemination.