Correlation of birth weight with placental weight in pregnancy induced hypertension and normal

Pregnancy induced hypertension is one of the threatening problem among pregnancy related health problems. Complications arising from it are also common which leads to several maternal and foetal deaths. During pregnancy, examination of mother and foetus done properly but what is overlooked is placenta, as it cannot be measured directly until after birth. Foetal distress, intrauterine foetal death and placental abnormalities are common in pregnancy induced hypertension. Rate of preterm birth ranges from 5 to10 percent of deliveries in developing countries (Hsleh T ʼSang- TʼSang 2005). About two third of preterm deliveries are due to spontaneous onset of preterm labour or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Approximately one third follow induction of labours or caesarean section performed for maternal or foetal indication such as preeclampsia, haemorrhage, non-reassuring foetal heart rate or intrauterine growth retardation. Thus, pathologists are frequently called on to evaluate preterm placenta, to determine the cause of the spontaneous preterm birth and/or correlate placental finding with the clinical history (O. M. Faye-Petersen 2008). The risk is increased if placental function has been impaired by pre-eclampsia, post maturity and threatened abortion. The margin may be narrow and hazard may be greater if the placenta is unusually small. Weight of placenta is "functionally significant" because it is related to villous surface area and to total foetal metabolism (Udainia A, Bhagwat S). Pregnancy complicated by hypertension is commonly associated with placental insufficiency, there by resulting in foetal growth retardation. Again reduced utero-placental blood flow has been recognized in cases of severe preeclampsia with hypertension. As stated above, foetal growth is retarded in preeclampsia and that a small infant has usually a small sized placenta. In previous studies it has been revealed that there is clear relationship between pregnancy induced hypertension and morphometric changes in placenta and which ultimately reflects foeto-maternal status. Placental weight is one of placental measure by which placental growth can be characterised. So the present study is carried out on placentae from mothers with pregnancy induced hypertension and placentae from mothers without any materno-foetal complication (normal placentae). Two hundred and one placentae, 101 from normal pregnancies and 100 from pregnancy induced hypertension pregnancies, were examined. Weight of placenta was taken in gram by using standard weighing machine after removing membranes and cutting cord leaving 2.5 cm attachment. Weight of new born baby was taken on standard weighing machine immediately after cord tying and cutting. In present study the mean placental weight in normal group is 469.50gm. And in pregnancy induced hypertension group is 420.98gm., from this finding it is concluded that the placental weight in pregnancy induced hypertension cases is significantly less than the placental weight in normal group. The mean birth weight in normal group is 2556.9gm. and in pregnancy induced hypertension it is 2192.50gm. So the birth weight in pregnancy induced hypertension is significantly low as compared to normal group. The ratio between birth weight and placental weight in pregnancy induced hypertension group is significantly lower than normal. It is concluded that correlation between birth weight and placental weight in normal group is moderately correlated (r=0.484), where as in pregnancy induced hypertension is strongly correlated(r=0.836).