title: Placental morphometry determines the birth weight.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Placental morphometry determines the foetal development and adulthood disease pattern. Hence, in the present study the influence of placental weight, volume, surface area, and thickness were studied in different groups of birth weight by sex of the newborn.
  
  
  METHODS
  Present study was conducted on 164 consecutive singleton deliveries from a teaching hospital of Northern Karnataka, India. Multivariate linear regression models were constructed by maximum likelihood method after checking the linearity. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of regression models were computed to exhibit their utility for physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gestational age exhibited positive relationship with birth weight. Placental parameters showed a positive and significant relationship (p<0.001) with birth weight and higher values in males. The birth weight was estimated by regression models using sex of the newborn and placental morphometry; weight (R(2)=0.474), surface area (R(2)=0.420), and volume (R(2)=0.477) at 95% confidence interval. Low birth weight babies in the study were correctly identified by placental weight, surface area, volume and sex of the newborn. Their sensitivity, specificity and predictive values have been specified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Placental morphometry: weight, surface area, volume and sex of the baby determined the birth weight efficiently to initiate the corrective measures for planning better maternal care and to pacify mothers and their relatives.
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE University , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Rupa L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Balihallimath
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE University , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Veereshkumar S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Shirol
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE University , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Anita M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Biostatistics, KLE University , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Naresh Kumar
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE University , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Manisha R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bandankar
keywords: Regression models; Sex of the newborn