Can placental surface area and neonatal weight be predicted from placental surface measurements? Preliminary observations on normal-term pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relations between chorionic plate measurements and neonatal weight as prerequisites for possible prediction of fetal weight using antenatal placental measurements.


METHODS
We examined freshly delivered placentas. The surface area (chorionic plate) was measured using millimeter paper, and the two longest diameters (at right angles to each other) were determined (L1 and L2). The mean longest diameter [Lm = (L1 + L2)/2] was calculated. The relation of these diameters to neonatal and placental weight was studied.


RESULTS
We examined 57 randomly selected placentas after normal pregnancy and delivery. The three chorionic plate diameters significantly correlated with the surface area and the placental and neonatal weights. The strongest correlation (r = 0.94; p < 10(-6) was found between Lm and placental surface area.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results suggest that chorionic plate measurements may be suitable to predict placental surface area and neonatal birth weight in normal-term pregnancies. Further studies to verify prospectively these relations at various gestational ages and in cases of abnormal fetal growth are required.
Blickstein
I
I
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaplan Hospital (affiliated to the Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem) Rehovot, Israel.
Ron
A
A
D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal