Why would a placenta be sent to pathology?
Why would a placenta be sent to pathology?
The placenta should be submitted for pathologic evaluation if an abnormality is detected or certain indications are present. Examination of the placenta can yield information that may be important in the immediate and later management of mother and infant.
Do they always send the placenta to pathology?
The infant’s placenta should always be examined by a placental pathologist in cases involving traumatic deliveries, i.e., cases where the baby needs resuscitation at birth.
What is a pathology of placenta?
Placental pathology involves insults in either the maternal or fetal vascular compartments or to the placenta itself. The clinical effects of these pathologies are, for a large part, dependent on placental reserve.
What is a bad placenta?
Placental insufficiency is the failure of the placenta to provide enough nutrients to the unborn baby during pregnancy. This is caused by a failure of the placenta to grow or function properly, and it can result in fetal growth restriction and low birth weight.
What does an unhealthy placenta mean?
When the placenta malfunctions, it’s unable to supply adequate oxygen and nutrients to the baby from the mother’s bloodstream. Without this vital support, the baby cannot grow and thrive. This can lead to low birth weight, premature birth, and birth defects.
Why do doctors keep placentas?
The placenta is an organ that your body creates to give your soon-to-be-baby oxygen and nutrients while in the womb. Some moms want to keep the placenta to eat at home as a way to potentially stave off some of the less enjoyable after-effects of birth. Others want to plant it with a tree to commemorate the birth.
How many cotyledons does a placenta have?
Maternal surface: dull greyish red in colour and is divided into 15-20 cotyledons. Each cotyledon is formed of the branches of one main villus stem covered by decidua basalis.
What do you need to know about a placental pathologist?
The placental pathologist will inspect the placenta for signs of chronic deprivation, such as abnormalities caused by infection of the placenta. Meconium discoloration of the placenta can be a sign of fetal distress just before birth and a sign that the baby’s oxygen supply was compromised.
Are there any teratogens that do not affect the placenta?
Most known or suspected teratogens have no effect on placental morphology; therefore, the placenta has not helped in suspecting fetal exposures. There are a couple of important exceptions: tobacco inhalation and cocaine.
When do you need an examination of the placenta?
If the blood is rather firmly attached, and especially if it distorts the placenta, it may represent an abruption. The dimensions and volume of the placenta should be estimated. The placenta should be palpated, and the fetal and maternal surfaces should be carefully examined.
Why is there blood at the margin of the placenta?
Extra placental lobes are important, primarily because they may lead to retained placental tissue ( Figure 2). Blood may be adherent to the maternal surface of the placenta, particularly at or near the margin. If the blood is rather firmly attached, and especially if it distorts the placenta, it may represent an abruption.