Implications of a high placental ratio in pregnancies with appropriate-for-gestational age neonates

Objective: To determine the relationship between the placental weight to bi rth weight ratio (placental ratio) with maternal pre-pregnancy weight, gest ational weight gain, and neonatal outcome in non-diabetic pregnancies resul ting in appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) infants. Methods: A retrospec tive study was performed on 593 patients with singleton pregnancies, normal results in the 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test and who delivered AGA n ewborns within a 1-year period. The patients were categorized into high pla cental ratio (> mean + 1 SD based on previous data, n = 113 or 19.1%) and n ormal ratio groups for the comparison of maternal and neonatal anthropometr ic parameters. Results: The high placental ratio group had a higher pre-pre gnancy weight, body mass index, placental weight, and incidence of low Apga r score, but decreased absolute and percentage gestational weight gain, ges tational age, and birth weight. After controlling for pre-pregnancy weight and gestational age, only the correlation between placental weight and perc ent weight gain remained significant. Conclusion: Our finding suggests that a high placental ratio can identify AGA newborns who are disproportionatel y small relative to maternal size, and may reflect some form of fetal growt h impairment. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.