Placenta: chronicle of intrauterine growth restriction.
The foundation for adult health is laid in utero and requires a healthy placenta. A common manifestation of abnormal placental development is impaired fetal growth. While placental pathology is the final common denominator in many cases of fetal growth restriction, a variety of discreet lesions have been described involving both the maternal and fetal circulations at their confluence in the placenta. Detailed examination of the placenta provides a means of elucidating the pathophysiology of poor fetal growth. This is an essential step in developing effective strategies for the prediction, prevention, and possible treatment of the growth restricted fetus.
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Ultrasound, Depart of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine 660 South Euclid Ave, Maternity Building, 5th Floor, St Louis, Missouri 63110 USA.
Jeffrey M
JM
Dicke