Umbilical cord insertion site in early gestation and development of placenta.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relation of umbilical cord insertion (CI) site in early gestation and placental development from the chorion villosum.


METHODS
We ultrasonically measured the distance between the internal cervical Os and the CI site (CID), the distance between the internal cervical Os and lower placenta edge (PLD), and placental thickness at early (10-12 weeks) and mid-gestation (18-20 weeks).


RESULTS
CID in early gestation (CID-Early) correlated with CID in mid-gestation (r(2)=0.171; P<0.01). CID-Early correlated with PLD in mid-gestation (r(2)=0.093; P<0.01). Thickness of chorion villosum or placenta in early gestation did not correlate with that at mid-gestation. Increasing thickness of placenta was significantly higher in long CID-Early (> or =20 mm) cases than short cases (<20 mm) (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The process of placental development and the placental location are affected by CI location at early gestation, and suggests that this process might be affected by poor blood supply from the low uterine segment when CI site is close to the internal cervical Os.
Hasegawa
Junichi
J
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. hasejun@oak.dti.ne.jp
Matsuoka
Ryu
R
Ichizuka
Kiyotake
K
Sekizawa
Akihiko
A
Okai
Takashi
T
D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010920:Placenta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*