Implications of a high placental ratio in pregnancies with appropriate-for-gestational age neonates.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between the placental weight to birth weight ratio (placental ratio) with maternal pre-pregnancy weight, gestational weight gain, and neonatal outcome in non-diabetic pregnancies resulting in appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) infants.


METHODS
A retrospective study was performed on 593 patients with singleton pregnancies, normal results in the 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test and who delivered AGA newborns within a 1-year period. The patients were categorized into high placental ratio (> mean +1 SD based on previous data, n = 113 or 19.1%) and normal ratio groups for the comparison of maternal and neonatal anthropometric parameters.


RESULTS
The high placental ratio group had a higher pre-pregnancy weight, body mass index, placental weight, and incidence of low Apgar score, but decreased absolute and percentage gestational weight gain, gestational age, and birth weight. After controlling for pre-pregnancy weight and gestational age, only the correlation between placental weight and percent weight gain remained significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Our finding suggests that a high placental ratio can identify AGA newborns who are disproportionately small relative to maternal size, and may reflect some form of fetal growth impairment.
Lao
T T
TT
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Tsan Yuk Hospital, Hong Kong, PRC. laotth@hkucc.hku.hk
Wong
W M
WM
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015430:Weight Gain