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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas
Published on: January 26, 2024
Hypothesis: the placental 'steal' phenomenon - a possible hazard of amnioreduction
Charles H Rodeck1, Boaz Weisz, Donald M Peebles
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London, UK. c.rodeck@ucl.ac.uk
The twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) complicates approximately 15% of monochorionic twin pregnancies. Severe TTTS is associated with poor neonatal outcome and a relatively high rate of neurological abnormalities. Some studies have suggested this outcome to be more severe in cases treated by amnioreduction. In this paper we present a hypothesis that radical amnioreduction performed after 24 weeks of gestation might cause a shift of blood from the fetus into the placenta. This could explain some of the severe neurological outcomes, such as hypoxic ischemic brain damage, seen in these cases.
The twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) complicates approximately 15% of monochorionic twin pregnancies. Severe TTTS is associated with poor neonatal outcome and a relatively high rate of neurological abnormalities. Some studies have suggested this outcome to be more severe in cases treated by amnioreduction. In this paper we present a hypothesis that radical amnioreduction performed after 24 weeks of gestation might cause a shift of blood from the fetus into the placenta. This could explain some of the severe neurological outcomes, such as hypoxic ischemic brain damage, seen in these cases.
