Effect of pregnancy anaemia on cellular growth in the human placenta

The effects of pregnancy anaemia on cell number and size in human placentae were investigated. Total organ weight, protein, RNA and DNA contents were determined in 54 fresh placentae from anaemic women (haemoglobin less than 110 g/l) and another 32 placentae from women without anaemia (haemoglobin greater than or equal to 110 g/l). The placental weight was significantly reduced in pregnancy anaemia. The decrease in total placental DNA in anaemic women suggested that the reduced placental weight was due to a decrease in cell number. However, these placentae also showed evidence of compensatory cellular hypertrophy as indicated by increase in both weight per cell and protein per cell.