HIGH RISK PREGNANCY WITH POOR FETAL OUTCOME- IS PLACENTA THE REAL CULPRIT ?.

Background: In high risk pregnancies with poor fetal outcome careful examination of placenta along with microscopic study may frequently point to the cause of perinatal death. So we have planned a prospective observational study was to illustrate the gross and microscopic changes in placenta in certain normal and abnormal pregnancies and to analyses the relationship of placental pathology with fetal outcome. A p Methods: rospective study of 100 deliveries at a tertiary teaching hospital in India. Each placenta was studied macroscopically in labour room and sent for microscopic examination. The study included placentas of normal pregnancies and those with high-risk pregnancies. Microscopically placentas were studied for vessel wall thickening, infarction, villitis, chorioangiosis, calcication and intervillous hemorrhage. The outcome variables were studied in each histological group and compared with the normal group using Ψ2 test for homogeneity. For cell frequencies less than 5, Fischer Exact Test was used. Vess Results: el wall thickening was demonstrated in 51% patients. Infarcts were demonstrated in 14%. Placental abnormalities Conclusions: like vessel wall thickening, and infarction is associated with abnormal fetal and neonatal outcome.