Morphometric Evaluation of Human Placental and Umbilical Cord for Neonatal Indices: A Cross-Sectional Study

In India, there is only limited data on studies related to umbilical cord and placental indices in newborn infants. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the morphometric analysis of placental and umbilical cord indices and their association with length, weight, and head size in newborns.

This was a longitudinal cross-sectional study conducted on placentas and fetal measures from 245 women who gave birth during the study period. The placental variables, umbilical cord indices, and neonatal indices were measured. The association between the parameters was done using Pearson's correlation, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Results: The placental weight (p=0.01) and placental volume (p=0.01) showed a significant positive correlation with newborn weight. The mean placental diameter was 16.32 ± 1.54 cm, and there was no significant correlation between placental diameter and infant weight (p=0.232), length (p=0.658), or head circumference (0.842). In addition, there was a significant association between placental diameter, placental volume (p=0.000), and placental weight (p=0.000). There was a significant positive correlation (p<0.05) between ponderable index and birth weight, length, and head circumference.

Placental weight and newborn weight were significantly associated in this study. The length of the umbilical cord was found to be related to placental weight. So, placental measurements are reliable indicators for the assessment of fetal wellbeing.