THE PLACENTA IN OBSTETRIC HEALTH AND DISEASE: A REVIEW

Abstract

Unlike any other organ, the placenta in short course arises anew, serves the function of several organ systems at once, and then disappears. In addition to ensuring oxygen and nutrient delivery to the foetus and waste removal, steroid production, immune suppression, and storage of critical nutrients and substrates, this transient organ determines much of maternal and neonatal well-being. Several obstetric conditions  are  essentially  placental  diseases.  Aberrations of placental implantation, structure or size, and the characteristics of placental tissue may significantly alter foetal/neonatal health permanently. While there remains much  to  learn,  decades  of  impactful  research,  advances in placental bed biopsy techniques, electron microscopy, ultrasound and MRI have advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of the placenta and of its impact. This review will  highlight  the  basics  of  placental  physiology,  discuss the most frequent placental pathophysiology, and broadly describe  clinical  practices  and  techniques  for  placental and disease surveillance in order to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.