A PROSPECTIVE CYTOGENETIC STUDY OF 3RD-TRIMESTER PLACENTAE IN SMALL-FOR-DATE BUT OTHERWISE NORMAL NEWBORNS

Data in the literature suggest that confined placental mosaicism might be associated with intrauterine growth retardation. However, this ass ociation may be coincidental and due to bias of ascertainment. We ther efore started a prospective study based on the cytogenetic evaluation of placentae derived from growth-retarded newborns. We further minimiz ed possible bias by excluding those small-for-date infants displaying findings which already could explain intrauterine growth retardation ( mothers who are smokers, multiple pregnancies, gestosis, dysmorphic in fants). In a collection of 71 small-for-gestational age newborns, we d id not see a single case of true confined placental mosaicism.