ULTRASONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF PLACENTAL THICKNESS AND PLACENTAL LOCATION IN THIRD TRIMESTER SCAN

Dr. Ankit Jishtu*, Dr. Vijay Thakur, Dr. Mukesh Surya and Dr. Rama Thakur

ABSTRACT

Background: Placenta being an important organ and its measurement always had prospect of being important marker for feto-maternal health. The aim of the study was sonographic estimation of placental thickness, measured at the level of the umbilical cord insertion and study the placental thickness values and location. Methods: In this study, total 296 patients were included. The study was conducted on pregnant women with pregnancy between 28 weeks to 40 weeks who were unequivocal about the LMP. The antenatal subjects attending the antenatal clinic at Kamla Nehru State hospital for mother and child and IGMC Shimla were enrolled for the study. All antenatal mothers with known LMP at their antenatal visit between 28- 40 weeks of gestation irrespective of their prior scans, who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria were subjected to ultrasonographic examination. The placental thickness was measured and recorded. Results: We observed that mean placenta thickness was 3.66±0.92 cm and placental thickness below 10th percentile was considered as abnormally thin placenta (4.95 cm). We observed that 28 patients had abnormally thin placenta while 30 patients had abnormally thick placenta. Fundo-anterior location seen in 35% patients. Conclusion: This study concludes that sonographic measurement of placental thickness is an easy tool which can be used in pregnancy to depict variation in placental thickness measurement. Fundo-anterior as most common placental location.

Keywords: Placental Thickness, obstetric sonography, placental location.