Condition of the placenta: how to avoid premature aging? Placenta maturity: the degree of indicator by week is normal What does placental maturity mean 1

The placenta is a unique organ that helps the baby grow, develop, receive all the necessary nutrients and even oxygen. It develops from a thin membrane (chorion) to a dense layer lining the uterine cavity. Since the placenta is the most important for the development of the child, doctors pay close attention to its condition. There are several, which she goes through with increasing pregnancy.

Degree of placenta maturation

The placenta is formed around the 12th week and takes on the functions of feeding the baby and regulating the mother’s hormonal levels. At the same time, the placenta is in the process of changes, adapting to the needs of the child. During screening ultrasounds, which are performed at 20 and 32 weeks, or more often, according to indications, specialists carefully assess the degree of its maturity. The fact is that changes can be not only natural, physiological, but also pathological. In this case, a decision is made to use medications or even emergency delivery.

How is the stage of placenta maturity determined?

The placenta in pregnant women has a certain structure, which is assessed by ultrasound. Zero degree of maturity corresponds to the placenta, which has a homogeneous structure without any inclusions. As a rule, such a placenta is observed from the beginning of the second trimester and persists up to 30 weeks. However, already from 27 weeks, changes in the structure of the placenta can be observed, echogenic inclusions appear, and slight waviness is noted. This is stage 1 placenta. Gradually, increasingly strong changes are observed in the placenta, large and small inclusions increase. Closer to childbirth, approximately 37-38 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta acquires a lobular structure, there are areas of salt deposits, this is the third degree of maturity. If the degree of change in the structures does not correspond to the deadline, then it is diagnosed.

First degree of placenta maturity

Sometimes, when the situation looks dubious, a specialist can record in the ultrasound protocol the degree of placental maturity 0 1 or placental maturity 1 2. If in terms of timing you are at the junction of different degrees of maturation, then this situation is quite normal. If the term is too early, the obstetrician who is monitoring your pregnancy will take all measures to slow down the maturation of the placenta, as well as to carefully monitor the baby’s condition. In addition, it is imperative to assess the state of the uteroplacental blood flow, this will confirm or refute the diagnosis.

However, the maturity of the placenta 1 allows the baby to be well supplied with nutrients, and often at this stage, premature maturation requires only observation. At the next ultrasound, the mother will be sure to check the degree of maturity of the placenta and, if necessary, adjust the treatment regimen.

The opposite situation is also observed, late maturation of the placenta, it is much less common, but still if after 34-35 weeks the placenta still remains in the first stage, experts may suspect disturbances in the development of the baby, as well as problems in the health of the mother. This condition also requires additional examinations.

The timing of placental maturation varies widely, and ultrasound is a subjective assessment method. However, if you suspect early or late maturation of the placenta, you need to double-check the diagnosis, conduct additional research, and, if necessary, treatment. This is the key to the baby's health.

It is characterized by earlier development of the placenta (aging), which entails possible conditions that threaten the health of the fetus. Most often they talk about fetal hypoxia, that is, insufficient oxygen supply, which leads to oxygen starvation. At the same time, due to insufficient supply of nutrients to the unborn baby, disturbances in brain functions are possible, and for the birth process - its premature onset and severe course.

Causes of premature aging of the placenta:

• diabetes mellitus and other hormonal disorders in the mother’s body;
• abortions that a woman had before the onset of a real pregnancy;
• endocrine diseases of the expectant mother (thyroid disease);
• late toxicosis - gestosis;
• maternal smoking or alcohol consumption;
• chronic disorders of the cardiovascular system;
• hepatitis and other liver diseases;
• diseases of the urinary system;
• infections of the genital tract and uterus.

However, despite these alarming data, a woman who is diagnosed with stage 2 placental maturity at less than 33 weeks should not panic. The doctor will definitely prescribe additional tests and studies on the blood flow of the fetus. If no pathology is detected, then the woman has nothing to worry about. If a real threat to the normal functioning of the fetus is confirmed, effective treatment in a hospital is prescribed. As a rule, the drug course is aimed at restoring the functions of the placenta to fully supply the child with all nutrients. substances.

2 degree of placental maturity at a period that does not correspond to the norm does not always mean the presence of pathology. If the doctor does not notice a real threat of premature birth, then, most likely, a course of treatment with Curantil or other appropriate medications at home will be prescribed. In any case, a woman should strictly adhere to the doctor’s recommendations and come for appointments regularly.

The formation process is normally completed by 16 weeks. From this period, the degree of maturity of the placenta is determined during an ultrasound examination. Determining the degree of maturity of the placenta is an important diagnostic criterion in order to judge how well it fulfills its functions: delivering oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.

How to determine the maturity of the placenta 1, 2, 3?

In total, there are 4 degrees of placental maturity from 0 to 3. Let's consider what ultrasound signs correspond to each of these stages:

• degree of placental maturity 0 is diagnosed before the 30th week of pregnancy. During this period, the structure of the placenta is homogeneous;
• degree of placental maturity 1 is determined from 28 to 34 weeks of pregnancy. This degree of maturity is characterized by the presence of a small number of echogenic inclusions, as well as the appearance of waviness of the chorionic plate;
• determined at 35-39 weeks. On ultrasound of such a placenta, the waviness of the chorionic plate increases and the number of hyperechoic inclusions increases;
• Placental maturity level 3 can normally occur from the 37th week of pregnancy. The third degree of maturity of the placenta is manifested by a lobular structure and pronounced tortuosity of the chorionic membrane.

3 Placental maturity before 37 weeks or early placental maturation

Early maturation of the placenta shows the failure of the placenta to provide the fetus with oxygen and nutrients, which in turn leads to intrauterine growth retardation. The causes of this condition may be: extragenital pathology, gestosis, bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy, etc. In such cases, the woman will definitely be prescribed treatment aimed at improving blood circulation in the placenta.

The placenta is an important organ of a pregnant woman, which is formed and exists throughout the entire period of fetal growth. After the birth of a newborn, the child's place is rejected. This unique temporary organ connects mother and baby during pregnancy. It is thanks to the placenta that the baby receives the necessary nutrients.

A child's place, like any living organism, forms, matures and ages. Each of these physiological processes must occur at its own time. In this case, the pregnancy will be successful and the child will be healthy. If an expectant mother wants to know what, for example, the degree of maturity of the placenta should be at 33 weeks of pregnancy, she should use a special table with standard indicators. Such a diagram will be given in the article below. Thanks to it, you can find out whether the child’s place is developing correctly.

When is the placenta formed?

The word placenta is Latin for “flatbread”. This organ was named so due to its disc-shaped, flattened shape.

Approximately on the tenth day after conception, cells, the purpose of which is to ensure communication between mother and fetus, begin to actively divide. As a result, special enzymes are produced. Their task is to create favorable conditions in the uterine cavity for the subsequent possibility of saturating the child with nutrients from the mother’s body. After this, a constant blood exchange is formed between the pregnant woman and the baby. The growth of the placenta becomes so active that the size of this organ in the initial stages even exceeds the size of the embryo.

Next, there is a constant increase in mass and growth of the villous tree of the child's place. The branching of blood vessels continues due to the division of each of their processes into several new ones. Such a temporary organ completes the growth process almost before birth. The correct development of a child's place is characterized by such an indicator as a table with a corresponding description of the characteristics will be presented below.

What is the placenta for?

The main task of the placenta is to ensure the vital activity of the fetus throughout the entire period of pregnancy. The child's seat performs the following important functions:

• provides immunological protection of the fetus, passing the necessary antibodies of the pregnant woman to the baby, but at the same time retains certain cells of the mother’s immune system, which could trigger the mechanism of embryo rejection, mistaking it for a foreign object;
• removes toxins;
• protects the baby from the negative influence of the environment, the harmful effects of bacteria and viruses;
• performs the functions of an endocrine gland, synthesizing certain hormones that are necessary for a successful pregnancy;
• supplies the fetus with oxygen and removes the resulting carbon dioxide;
• delivers nutrients to the child and helps get rid of waste products.

The condition of the placenta has an extremely important impact on the condition of the baby and the process of pregnancy as a whole. To maintain the health of this organ, you need to protect it from harmful effects of various types. For example, it is recommended to avoid gatherings of large numbers of people, because even banal acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections can be dangerous. The expectant mother should not smoke. If a woman has sexually transmitted infections, she needs to get rid of them.

Standard placental thickness

From the very beginning of pregnancy, the placenta is actively growing and developing. By 16-18 weeks this organ becomes fully functional. The thickness of the child's seat increases slightly from day to day. This indicator reaches its maximum by 34 weeks. If the pregnancy proceeds well, then after another couple of weeks the growth and increase in the thickness of the placenta stops, and sometimes even declines.

This indicator, which characterizes the condition of the child’s place, can be determined exclusively by ultrasound diagnostics. The area with the greatest thickness should be measured.

If the thickness of the baby's place at a particular stage of pregnancy does not correspond to standard indicators, it means that the functioning of this organ is impaired. In this case, the child may also suffer.

Another indicator with which you can assess the condition of the baby’s place is the degree of maturity of the placenta by week. A table with standard values ​​will help you correctly assess the situation. Now let’s look at cases where the thickness of the child’s seat differs from the standard one.

If the thickness of the placenta is greater than normal

The cause of excessive blood intake in a pregnant woman may be anemia, gestosis, Rh conflict, or diabetes mellitus. Infectious diseases also have a negative impact on the condition of the child's place. Moreover, the danger exists even when the expectant mother is simply a carrier of bacteria. If a pregnant woman smokes, drinks alcohol or takes drugs, the thickness of her placenta may also increase.

The rate of aging of a child with such a pathology is accelerated, which means that this organ copes with its functions not effectively enough. If the placenta is thickened, it swells, the structure of its walls becomes different, and hormonal imbalance occurs. The result of such changes is insufficient provision of the child with oxygen and nutrients. This can cause the baby to be delayed, hypoxia, premature birth or even fetal death.

Based on the results of ultrasound diagnostics, Dopplerography or cardiotocography, the doctor prescribes drugs to a pregnant woman with a thickened baby's place that stimulate the utero-placental exchange and support the normal development of the baby. If the condition of the fetus does not cause concern, the doctor may limit himself to more close monitoring of the expectant mother.

If less than normal

A thin placenta may indicate hypoplasia of the baby's place. This is the name of the condition when this organ is underdeveloped and is not able to effectively cope with its functions.

An excessive decrease in the thickness of the placenta can be either a feature of the pregnant woman’s constitution (most often this happens in women of medium build) or be a consequence of a number of other reasons. For example, such a pathology may occur after the expectant mother has suffered from an infectious disease. Hypertension, hemolytic disease or atherosclerosis may also have an effect.

If insufficient thickness of the placenta is a consequence of any disease of the expectant mother, an increase in this indicator can be influenced by curing the corresponding disease. In other cases, the doctor uses drug therapy aimed at minimizing the possible negative consequences of the child’s development.

The time has come to consider such an important indicator as the maturity of the placenta.

What is placental maturity?

The maturation of the placenta is a natural process that accompanies the growth of this organ. The development of a child's place occurs in such a way that it can fully and timely provide for the needs of the fetus.

The degree of maturity of a child's place is the most important indicator. With its help, you can assess the state of the placental complex. Also, this characteristic helps to timely identify pathological changes in the structure of the child’s place, which can have a negative impact on the fetus.

If pregnancy proceeds normally, then during its period the placenta passes through 4 degrees of maturity. A detailed description of each of them follows below.

Degree of placenta maturity by week (table)

There are 4 degrees of maturity of a child's place. Each of them corresponds to a certain period of development of this organ.

Below is a summary diagram describing each stage of placental maturity by week. The table contains characteristics of the structure of the child's place and chorionic tissue at various stages of pregnancy.

The table shows that the zero degree of placenta maturity at 30 weeks is an indicator that is within the normal range. If the doctor, after examining the expectant mother, assessed the maturation of the child’s place in this way, then the pregnancy is going well.

A detailed description of each degree of placental maturity

The next stage of placental maturation normally lasts from 27 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. During this period, the size of the child's seat stops growing, but its thickness gradually increases. The first degree of placenta maturity at 34 weeks is a good indicator. Although at this time after visiting the doctor, there is a possibility of finding out that the child’s maturation has reached the second level. And this will also be the norm.

From the 34th week, the calmest and most stable stage of the child’s growing up begins. The second degree of placental maturity at 39 weeks is a boundary indicator. After this period, the development of the temporary organ should move to the third level. If such a transition occurs before the specified period, you should not worry. Most often, there is no reason for alarm in this case.

Next comes the third degree of maturity of the placenta. At 36 weeks and later, the baby's place enters the final phase of its development. During this period, biological aging of the temporary organ occurs. It is accompanied by a reduction in the exchange area of ​​the placenta and the appearance of a large number of areas of calcium deposits.

If a child’s place is ahead of its development norm or, conversely, lags behind it, pathologies may develop. Such situations are discussed below.

Delayed development of the placenta

One of the problems associated with a child's place may be its premature maturation. We can talk about such a pathology if the 2nd degree of maturity of the placenta has already occurred at the 32nd week of pregnancy. In this case, the condition of the fetus must be carefully monitored. After all, this situation indicates placental insufficiency. This common case will be discussed in more detail below.

Another problem, which occurs somewhat less frequently than the previous one, is the late maturation of the child’s place. Most often, this pathology is typical when there are congenital malformations of the fetus. Additional risk factors are the expectant mother's illness with diabetes mellitus, Rh conflict, or the presence of bad habits in the pregnant woman such as smoking or drinking alcohol. If there is a delay in placental maturation, the risk of stillbirth increases.

Premature maturation of the placenta

Development is considered premature when the second degree of maturity of the placenta occurs at or before.

The reasons for the occurrence of this pathology are as follows:

• gestosis;
• disrupted hormonal levels;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system or diabetes mellitus in a pregnant woman;
• presence of pathogens of infectious diseases;
• hypertension in the expectant mother;
• multiple pregnancy;
• excess calcium in a woman’s body;
• placenta previa or placental abruption;
• Rhesus conflict;
• pregnant women's use of alcohol, nicotine, and narcotic substances.

Also, adulthood is considered premature when the third degree of maturity of the placenta occurs before the 36th week of pregnancy. However, early aging of a child's place in itself is not an immediate threat to the health or life of the fetus. This pathology is dangerous when the doctor, after examining the pregnant woman, reveals disorders that can lead to negative consequences. This could be his intrauterine developmental delay, the risk of premature birth.

Doctors should confirm the presence of pathology using other diagnostic methods. If the fears are confirmed, then the pregnant woman is prescribed appropriate treatment, in some cases even inpatient treatment.

Conclusion

The most important indicator of the condition of the placenta is the degree of its maturity. This characteristic makes it possible to evaluate both physiological and pathological changes in the temporary organ. Using the special table given in the article, the expectant mother can find out the appropriate degree of maturity of the placenta for a specific stage of pregnancy. Week 31, for example, should be characterized by the first level of child development.

If the diagnostic results differ only slightly from the normative values, there is no need to worry. Trust your doctor. He will conduct additional studies, assess the condition of the fetus and, if necessary, prescribe appropriate treatment.

The most important organ for the unborn child during the entire pregnancy is the placenta. This organ is born in the uterus only after fertilization. And within half an hour after birth, the placenta leaves the uterus.

The placenta, or in common parlance the baby's place, supplies the fetus with oxygen, nutrients, removes decay products, and also performs a protective function, protecting the baby from various infections and toxic substances that can enter the uterus from the mother.

The placenta goes through the process of formation, maturity and aging. At the initial stage, the placenta is called the chorion, and already in the second month it forms into the placenta. There are four in total: 0, I, II, and III.

That is why, at each planned appointment, the doctor carefully examines the placenta and determines the degree of its maturity. After all, the baby’s nutrition, development and health depend on it.

Placenta maturity 0

Normally, the degree of maturity of the placenta is zero and remains until the 30th week. This condition of the placenta indicates that this organ, vital for the baby, fully performs all its functions and can protect it as much as possible.

With a degree of placental maturity of 0, this organ has a homogeneous structure and is at the first stage of its development.

However, both premature aging of the placenta and delayed maturity of this important organ are bad. After all, as the fetus grows, the placenta also grows, and if it does not change until 34 weeks, doctors make a diagnosis of “late maturation of the placenta.” Fortunately, this is a fairly rare occurrence. The risk category includes women who have diabetes or have a different Rh factor with the fetus, and such development of the placenta may indicate the probable presence of defects in the development of the child.

But the main thing for a mother during pregnancy is not to worry; doctors can also make mistakes and make the wrong diagnosis. May your pregnancy and childbirth not bring you grief.