- It is a must to examine the placenta and the cord after birth for presence of anomalies.
- Normal placenta weighs approximately 500 grams and is 15-20 cm in diameter and 1.5-30 cm thick.
- For women with diabetes mellitus, placenta may be exceptionally large. Normally, placenta weighs 1/6th of the fetus weight. In abnormal cases such as this, placenta may weigh as much as ½ of the weight of the fetus.
- Placenta Succenturiata
- Presence of one or more accessory lobes.
- NO fetal abnormality is associated with it. Despite this fact, it should still be recognized since these extra lobes might be retained leading to severe hemorrhage.
- Placenta Circumvallata
- The fetal side of the placenta is covered by some extent of the chorion.
- Battledore Placenta
- Cord is inserted marginally rather than centrally.
- Velamentous Insertion of the Cord
- The cord, instead of entering the placenta directly, separates into small vessels that reach the placenta by spreading across a fold of amnion.
- Vasa Previa
- The umbilical vessels of a velamentous placenta cross the cervical os so they will deliver before the fetus does.
- Placenta Accreta
- Unusually deep attachment of the placenta to the uterine myometrium.
- Placenta will not deliver spontaneously. A hysterectomy may be necessary or treatment with methotrexate to destroy the deeply embedded tissue.
