PubMed · 1990 · 77 citations · 0 references
MedicineMaternal HealthObstetricsEmbryo TransferIn Vitro FertilizationReproductive MedicinePlacental BiologyPlacental DevelopmentPlacental DisordersPlacental PathologyIntrauterine Embryo TransferMassive Perivillous Fibrin DepositionPlacental ComplicationsPlacental Cord InsertionPlacental InfarctionPregnancy-related ComplicationsUmbilical Cord Insertion SiteUmbilical Cord Length
The study proposes that placental morphologic differences in IVF pregnancies are linked to superficial implantation or blastocyst orientation. The authors compared 50 term placentas from IVF singleton pregnancies with 50 from spontaneous singleton pregnancies. No differences were found in maternal, fetal, or placental pathology except that IVF placentas had a higher incidence of abnormal shapes and a shorter distance from cord insertion to placental margin.
Fifty placentas were collected at term from singleton pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine embryo transfer. Their pathologic features were compared with those of a control group composed of 50 placentas obtained from spontaneous singleton pregnancies. The mean maternal age, mean gestational age, mean fetal weight, sex ratio, and rate of pregnancy complications did not differ. There was also no significant difference between the groups in the mean placental weight and in the incidence of placental pathologic lesions, including extended infarcts, massive perivillous fibrin depositions, chorioangiomas, and placental inflammatory lesions. The incidence of abnormal placental shapes was significantly (P less than .05) greater in the IVF group (22%) compared with the control group (6%). A significant (P less than .025) difference was observed between the groups in the distribution of umbilical cord insertions. The mean distance between the cord insertion and the closest placental margin was significantly (P less than .005) shorter in the group conceived by IVF (3.23 +/- 1.91 cm) than in the control group (4.54 +/- 2.42 cm). A relationship between these placental morphologic features and the superficial implantation and/or inadequate orientation of the blastocyst after IVF and intrauterine embryo transfer is proposed.