Abstract

Background: Pregnancy outcome is determined from sociodemographic characteristics to genetic factors of the mother. Hence, any imbalance in the equilibrium of maternal health, placental morphometry, or fetus leads to adverse pregnancy outcome and long-term risk of chronic diseases in the newborn.
Objective: This study was carried out to explore the effect of maternal social factors such as age, education, parity, consanguineous marriages, and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), and clinical factors such as fetal presentation, mode of delivery, and gestational age, birth weight, and placental morphometry.
Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on 161 placentae of singleton newborns from a teaching hospital of north Karnataka.
Results: The mean and standard deviation of placental morphometry; weight, volume, surface area, and thickness were 2 419.8 ± 104.9 g, 367.1 ± 109.0 ml, 226.7 ± 51.1 cm , and 2.1 ± 0.4 cm, respectively, with birth weight 2570.1 ± 631.8 g. Placental morphometry and birth weight increased significantly with gestation. Increase in maternal age and BMI showed significant increase in birth weight and placental volume. BMI also had a positive and significant relationship with placental weight and thickness. In the pregnant women, factors such as education of <6 years, primipara, fetal presentation with oblique lie, and emergency cesarean delivery were associated with low birth weight and lesser placental weight, volume, and surface area, but the variations were not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study will help clinicians to identify at-risk mothers with suboptimal social and clinical factors resulting in adverse pregnancy outcome and to pacify mothers for the needed care.