title: Placental lesions and maternal hemoglobin levels. A comparative investigation.
abstract: A high maternal hemoglobin level during pregnancy has been correlated to a low birth weight and a low placental weight, but has not been investigated in relation to placental factors. In 330 consecutive deliveries, placental lesions, birth weight and placental weight were studied in a multiple regression analysis in relation to maternal hemoglobin concentration, taking into consideration possible confounding factors such as smoking, hypertensive disorders, weight gain, primiparity, gestational age and sex. A high maternal hemoglobin concentration (greater than 130 g/l) was correlated with a low birth weight, acute infarcts and syncytial knots. Intervillous thrombosis was more common in non-smokers and multiparous women, increasing in incidence as gestational age advanced. Infarcts and microscopic perivillous fibrin were correlated with hypertension. Microscopic perivillous fibrin was slightly associated with a high hemoglobin level (greater than 130 g/l) in a bivariate analysis. These findings may indicate that a high maternal hemoglobin level impairs the uteroplacental circulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nordenvall
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sandstedt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009929:Organ Size; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology*; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins