Placenta : placental development, infection and complications

Placenta development :-

placenta is a roundish, flat organ, measures about nine inches in diameter and three quarters of an inch in thickness at the centre.

umbilical cord is inserted towards the centre of fetal surface.   maternal surface of placenta is dark and fleshy in appearance and divided into number of cotyledons by septa which grow from the decidua.

first step in development of placenta is the formation of chorionic villi by which the little ovum attaches itself to the walls of the implantation cavity.

cytotrophoblast sends out definite buds which grow outwards through the syncytium.

mesodermal core grows out to the very tips of the epithelial branches, also called chorionic villi.

as the ovum grows the capillaries becomes more thinned out and the villi attached to it gradually.

Placental infection:-

*  Bacterial inflammation of placenta is called as placental infection. Usually the fetal surface of placenta is infected, particularly the chorion and amnion.

*  Perivascular leukocytic infiltration of the cord and placental fetal vessels are typical of omphalitis or placentitis.

*  Placentitis is commonly a precursor of puerperal sepsis, which causes maternal morbidity and mortality.

Complications of placentitis:-

*  Fetal pneumonia,

*  Omphalitis and stroemia

*  chorioamnionitis  .