All vital organs are formed in a person long before birth. And it seems that there is no such thing that any organ suddenly takes and appears in a person in the process of life. However, this is possible. A similar organ is the placenta, which is formed in women during pregnancy.
Baby place
The placenta is a medical term. People call it a children's place. So, the placenta is an organ that forms during pregnancy. It is through her that the baby receives oxygen and all the necessary nutrients. The placenta allows you to remove the waste products of crumbs and carbon dioxide. It is endowed with the most important function - it protects the baby from the reactions of the mother’s immune system and various infections.
If we consider the placenta from a scientific point of view, then this is a small disk (20 cm in diameter) weighing about 5 kg and about 3 cm thick. One side of it is directed to the fetus (it is the umbilical cord that extends from this side), and the second, consisting of villi attached to the uterus.
In the placenta itself, there are arteries and veins, through which blood is exchanged between the mother and the unborn baby.
What is placental aging?
Aging of the placenta during pregnancy is a fairly common diagnosis, which doctors put to future mothers. The specified diagnosis is made on the basis of an ultrasound scan and is important for the normal development of the fetus.
The placenta goes through 4 stages of maturation:
- zero, which is typical for pregnancy for up to 30 weeks;
- the first, which lasts from the 30th to the 34th week of pregnancy ;
- the second, which corresponds to pregnancy from the 34th to the 37th week;
- the third, characteristic of the last weeks of pregnancy, that is, from the 37th week until the time of birth.
Depending on the stage, the placenta is modified and has characteristic features. Aging of the placenta during pregnancy is a decrease in the functionality of the specified organ. This does not mean that the placenta, which, for example, has a second degree of maturity, ceases to fulfill its functions. This body simply gradually reduces the scope of its capabilities.
In this regard, the identification of such a pathology in late pregnancy should not cause serious concern. It is much worse when the aging of the placenta during pregnancy is detected in the first or second trimester.
Details on the stages of aging of the placenta
The age of the placenta is the most important indicator that reports on the intrauterine development and formation of the fetus. It happens that the outcome of pregnancy depends on this indicator.
As already mentioned, 4 stages of placenta maturation are distinguished.
Starting from the 12th week of pregnancy, an organ such as the placenta begins to form and grow actively. Every week it is condensed. In the period from the 12th to the 30th week of pregnancy, the degree of maturation of the specified organ is normally zero. During this period, the structure of the child's place is smooth and uniform. In the zero stage, the placenta fully fulfills all the functions assigned to it: it actively saturates the fetus with oxygen and nutrients, removes carbon dioxide and the waste products of the unborn baby.
Stage One
Pregnancy during the period from the 30th to the 34th week corresponds to the first stage of maturation of the child's place. It is characterized by the fact that it is in the indicated period that the first signs of aging begin to appear on the placenta. They are expressed by the appearance of small irregularities and inclusions. At the same time, this organ does not lose its functions: the placenta continues to actively help the baby develop, grow and eat.
Sometimes this period is called the period of development of the placenta, since it is at the indicated time that the fetus actively grows and develops.
Second stage
The second stage of maturation (aging) is typical for the period of pregnancy from the 34th to the 37th week of pregnancy. Ultrasound examination of the placenta in the indicated period shows the appearance of a large number of inclusions, a change in the relief of this organ. The thickness of the placenta gradually begins to decrease, which leads to a decrease in its functional tasks.
However, for the period from the 34th to the 37th week of pregnancy, the placenta performs all the necessary functions: the baby receives the amount of nutrients that it needs for proper development and growth.
Final stage
The third (final) stage of maturation is observed at 36 weeks of gestation. Aging of the placenta goes to the "finish line". The functioning of the child's place is significantly reduced, and natural aging sets in. This stage is characteristic of a full-term pregnancy and indicates that the fetus has ripened and the mother's body is ready for childbirth. Externally, the placenta at this stage has many inclusions and deposits of salts. Its structure is very heterogeneous, large waves are visible on the placenta, the depth of which in some places reaches the basal layer.
Any deviation from these standards is considered a pathology and requires systematic observation and treatment. However, premature aging of the placenta is not a sentence at all. Timely detection of this deviation will help stabilize the fetus and bring the expectant mother to a successful birth.
Pregnancy of the placenta: causes
Photo organ you can see in the article. The placenta, like any other organ, wears out due to excessive loads. There are many factors in which placental aging occurs during pregnancy. The causes of this pathology most often boil down to the following:
- infectious or endocrine diseases of the future mother in childbirth, the presence of pathologies of the circulatory system, as well as diseases of the kidneys and urinary system;
- Rhesus conflict between mother and fetus;
- excess (or insufficient) weight of the woman in labor;
- alcohol and smoking;
- the presence of abortion or severe previous childbirth;
- toxicosis;
- improper nutrition;
- chronic diseases of the heart, lungs, arterial hypertension;
- multiple pregnancy.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why premature placental aging occurs during pregnancy. These are chronic diseases, and acquired viral and infectious diseases, as well as improper mother behavior during pregnancy.
It is worth remembering that such a diagnosis as premature aging of the placenta is made in cases where the second degree of maturity is diagnosed for up to 32 weeks or the third for up to 36 weeks.
How to find out and understand?
Learn about premature aging of the placenta is possible only by ultrasound. Since the indicated pathology proceeds without any symptoms, it is impossible to independently understand that the placenta does not cope with its functions.
It is possible to establish the development of this pathology with the help of an optical cardiomonitor. It shows the heart rate of the fetus and its changes.
However, despite the fact that premature maturation of the placenta does not have any visible symptoms, it is possible to suspect that something is going wrong, nevertheless, by the behavior of the fetus.
Symptoms
So, aging of the placenta during pregnancy has the following symptoms:
- the fetal heart rate increases. This occurs as a result of oxygen starvation and lack of nutrients. The indicated symptom indicates that the placenta is not coping with its functions;
- due to oxygen starvation, the expectant mother can feel sharp shocks in the abdomen (starting from the second trimester): the baby begins to actively move, kick and kick in the arms and legs;
- due to lack of nutrients, the fetus may stop moving and move at all.
These symptoms in most cases indicate premature ripening of the child's place.
Effects
What can happen if aging of the placenta is established during pregnancy? The consequences for the child of this pathology have the most negative.
In the early stages (in the first trimester), such a diagnosis, as a rule, leads to a miscarriage or the so-called missed pregnancy.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, the appearance of this pathology can lead to a delay in the physical or mental development of the unborn baby, as well as to the birth of a child with reduced body weight. In addition, premature aging of the placenta can cause the death of brain cells.
However, most often a similar diagnosis is made in the third trimester of pregnancy. In this case, doctors recommend using methods of artificial provocation of childbirth. With the help of droppers, special gels and injections, you can accelerate the onset of labor and give birth to a healthy baby 3-4 weeks earlier than the preliminary date of delivery.
Treatment
So, the expectant mother was diagnosed with premature aging of the placenta during pregnancy. Treatment in this case will be carried out in a hospital setting. Moreover, in most cases, doctors will use medical methods to eliminate the pathology that has arisen.
It is worth knowing that it is impossible to cure this pathology. In this regard, the treatment will be aimed at helping the unborn baby.
Droppers or injections may be prescribed to a pregnant woman, depending on the cause of the late growth of the placenta. If the cause of this diagnosis was an infectious disease of the mother, she will be offered a course of treatment with medications, depending on the type of pathogen.
Most often, droppers and injections are prescribed that can prevent the development of hypoxia in the fetus. Such drugs include Actovegin, Curantil, as well as essential phospholipids and other medical devices.
These drugs are also used to reduce uterine tone and improve blood circulation. The respiratory failure of the baby can be restored with glucose preparations.
However, there are situations in which medical treatment does not make sense. In such cases, premature delivery is used, which is carried out using a caesarean section. As a rule, such emergency measures are characteristic when placental aging is detected at 34 weeks of gestation and at a later date.
Doctors resort to such an emergency measure in those cases when it has been reliably established that intrauterine development is more dangerous for a child than premature birth.
Preventative measures
A set of preventive measures that prevent premature aging of the placenta is quite simple. A pregnant woman is advised to abandon any bad habits, be it smoking, drinking alcohol and even more drugs. Expectant mother should avoid stressful situations, physical activity and spend as much time as possible in the fresh air.
An important preventive measure is a systematic visit to the gynecologist. Indeed, the timely detection of pathology will help in time to take appropriate measures and avoid unpleasant consequences.
Do not refuse to visit the day hospital: it should be remembered that the condition of the fetus with early maturation of the placenta directly depends on medical supervision, qualified and adequate medical care.
Instead of a conclusion
Often, pregnancy is accompanied by the appearance of various pathologies and abnormalities. One of the most common diagnoses made to expectant mothers is premature placental aging during pregnancy. The causes and consequences of this pathology can be completely different: this is the wrong lifestyle of the mother, and the presence of infectious diseases, and even congenital diseases.
So, we talked about what is the aging of the placenta during pregnancy. The consequences of early organ maturation depend on the period of their appearance and detection. However, timely visits to the gynecologist, the implementation of all the doctor’s prescriptions, as well as a healthy lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of this deviation.
It is worth knowing that in most cases, with a diagnosis of “premature placental aging”, doctors manage to stabilize the fetus and future mothers give birth to completely healthy and full-fledged children.