Abstract:

Background: Placenta pathological examination is useful in separating clinical syndrome into distinctive pathological diseases, it can explain the mechanisms and causes of adverse fetal outcomes such as prematurity. At our set up all adverse fetal outcome lack definitive placenta histology diagnosis. This study aimed at examining placentae histopathological patterns and it is related fetal outcomes.

Objective: To examine the placenta histopathological patterns maternal characteristics and fetal outcomes among pregnant women delivered at Bugando Medical Centre from January 2022 t0 May 2022.

Methods: This was a longitudinal study conducted at BMC with 7days of follow-up. The study recruited a total of 205placentas during the study period. The placenta was collected, grossed, sectioned, processed, and fixed as per protocol and SOP. The finding were analyzed using STATA 15 the p-value<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: A total of 205 placentas were examined, among participants had a median age of 29+ 4years SD and a mean gestation age was 38weeks. Two-thirds of the placenta (61%) had histopathological patterns the leading had no lesions in 38.5% followed by acute inflammation in 22.9% and the least was fetal vascular malperfusion. In our study 168(81%) newborns had a good outcomes and 37(19%) had a poor outcomes.

Conclusion: The majority of the examined placenta had lesions, led by normal histology, the majority had good fetal outcomes only a few had poor outcomes. Placenta pathological lesions were associated with Low birthweight <2.5kg, prematurity, and maternal hypertension which was statistically significant on univariate analysis with a p-value<0.05.