An Investigation on the Fetal Death via Study of Placenta

Vital signs, including breathing, heart beat or involuntary movement of voluntary muscles, during child birth show that the fetus is healthy. Fetal death or still birth is one of the most complicated issues in medical science. Several factors contribute to still birth which are divided into maternal, fetal and placental groups. The present study deals with placental factors.

In this cross-sectional study, sixty placenta were investigated out of which thirty belonged to mothers with healthy fetuses (comprising control group), and the rest belonged to mothers with dead fetuses (experimental group). Having prepared the slides of the placentae in serial section with a thickness of five micrometers, the researcher conducted a histopathological study on calcification, congestion, vasculitis, perivascular fibrosis, fibronoid necrosis, vascular thrombosis in villi arteries and the presence of Hofbauer cells in the placenta. T test was used to analyze the data.

The results showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the calcification, thrombosis, vasculitis, perivascular fibrosis, fibronoid necrosis in the decidual tissues, congestion in villi arteries, presence of Hofbauer cells and accumulation of glycogen in th experimental group compared to the control group.

The present study establishes a significant correlation between fetal death and an increase in variables such as calcification, vascular thrombosis in villi, vasculitis, and necrosis in placenta.