Placental Findings Contributing to Perinatal Death: A 15-Year Retrospective Review from a Teaching Hospital in Thailand

Abstract

Introduction: The placenta is infrequently examined in developing countries. This study examined the role of placental pathology in perinatal deaths at Chulalongkorn University Hospital, Bangkok. Methods: Included were singleton intrauterine deaths after gestational week 20 and live-born infants up to 1 week old, over a 15-year period. Placental lesions were classified as: inflammatory-immune, maternal stromal-vascular, fetal stromal-vascular, umbilical cord complications and other. Results: 208 such cases had the placenta available. A placental cause of death was found in 96 (46%), non-placental causes in 28% and the cause of death was unknown in 26%. Of those 96 placentas, 44% were categorized as inflammatory-immune, 30% maternal stromal-vascular, 13% fetal stromal-vascular, 7% umbilical cord complications and 6% other. Conclusions: Placental causes of death were less common than in many Western studies, but inflammatory-immune processes more common. These differences may relate to how cases were accrued, and/or local socioeconomic factors, and warrant further study.

Keywords:

• Perinatal death
• autopsy
• placenta
• Thailand

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.