All vital organs are formed in a person long before birth. And it seems that it does not happen that any organ suddenly takes and appears in a person in the process of life. However, it is possible. A similar organ is the placenta, which is formed in women during pregnancy.
Children's seat
Placenta is a medical term. People call it a children's place. So, the placenta is an organ that is formed during pregnancy. It is through it that the baby receives oxygen and all the necessary nutrients. The placenta allows you to remove the waste products of the 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 towards the fetus (it is from this side that the umbilical cord departs), and the second, consisting ofvilli 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 that doctors make to future women in labor. This 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 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, typical for the last weeks of pregnancy, that is, from the 37th week until the moment of delivery.
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 this organ. This does not mean at all that the placenta, which, for example, has a second degree of maturity, ceases to perform its functions. This body is just gradually reducing the scope of its capabilities.
In this regard, the detection 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 intrauterine development and the formation of the fetus. It happens that the outcome of pregnancy depends on this indicator.
As already mentioned, there are 4 stages of maturation of the placenta.
Starting from the 12th week of pregnancy, such an organ as the placenta begins to form and actively grow. It gets thicker every week. In the period from the 12th to the 30th week of pregnancy, the degree of maturation of this organ is normally zero. During this period, the structure of the children's place is smooth and uniform. In the zero stage, the placenta fully performs all the functions assigned to it: it actively saturates the fetus with oxygen and nutrients, removes carbon dioxide and waste products of the unborn baby.
Stage one
The normal course of pregnancy in 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 during this 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 placental development, since it is at this period 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 during this period shows the appearance ofa 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 occurs at 36 weeks of gestation. The aging of the placenta is reaching the “finish line”. The functioning of the child's place is significantly reduced, and natural aging sets in. This stage is typical for full-term pregnancy and indicates that the fetus is ripe and the mother's body is ready for childbirth. Externally, the placenta at this stage has a lot of inclusions and s alt deposits. 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 norms is considered a pathology and requires systematic monitoring and treatment. However, premature aging of the placenta is not a sentence at all. Timely detection of this deviation will help stabilize the condition of the fetus and bring the expectant mother to a successful birth.
Aging of the placenta during pregnancy: causes
You can see a photo of the organ in the article. The placenta, like any other organ, wears out due to excessive stress. There are many factors in which the aging of the placenta occurs.during pregnancy. The causes of this pathology most often boil down to the following:
- infectious or endocrine diseases of a future woman in labor, the presence of pathologies of the circulatory system, as well as diseases of the kidneys and urinary system;
- Rh conflict between mother and fetus;
- overweight (or insufficient) weight of the woman in labor;
- drinking and smoking;
- the presence of abortions or difficult previous births;
- toxicosis;
- malnutrition;
- chronic diseases of the heart, lungs, arterial hypertension;
- multiple pregnancy.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons for premature aging of the placenta during pregnancy. These include chronic diseases, acquired viral and infectious diseases, as well as maternal misbehavior 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 know and understand?
You can learn about premature aging of the placenta only by conducting an ultrasound. Since this pathology proceeds without any symptoms, it is impossible to independently understand that the placenta cannot cope with its functions.
It is possible to establish the development of this pathology with the help of opticalheart monitor. It shows the fetal heart rate and its changes.
However, despite the fact that there are no visible symptoms of premature maturation of the placenta, it is still possible to suspect that something is going wrong by the behavior of the fetus.
Symptoms
So, the aging of the placenta during pregnancy has the following symptoms:
- the fetus has an increased heart rate. This occurs as a result of oxygen starvation and lack of nutrients. This symptom indicates that the placenta is not coping with its functions;
- due to oxygen starvation, the expectant mother may feel sharp tremors in her stomach (starting from the second trimester): the baby begins to actively move, kick and push with arms and legs;
- due to a lack of nutrients, the fetus may stop moving and moving at all.
These symptoms in most cases indicate premature maturation of the child's place.
Consequences
What can happen if the aging of the placenta during pregnancy is established? This pathology has the most negative consequences for the child.
In the early stages (in the first trimester), such a diagnosis, as a rule, leads to a miscarriage or the so-called miscarriage.
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, prematureaging of the placenta can cause the death of brain cells.
However, most often such a 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 speed up the onset of labor and give birth to a he althy baby 3-4 weeks earlier than the due date.
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. At the same time, 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.
Depending on the cause of the untimely maturation of the placenta, a pregnant woman may be prescribed droppers or injections. If the mother was diagnosed with an infectious disease, she will be offered a course of medication depending on the type of infectious agent.
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 products.
These preparations are also used to reduce the tone of the uterus and improve blood circulation. Respiratory failure of the baby can be restored with glucose preparations.
However, there are situations whenwhich 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 typical when aging of the placenta is detected at 34 weeks of gestation and later.
Medics resort to such an emergency measure in cases where it is reliably established that intrauterine development for a child is more dangerous than premature birth.
Preventive measures
The set of preventive measures by which premature aging of the placenta can be avoided is quite simple. A pregnant woman is advised to give up any bad habits, whether it be smoking, drinking alcohol, and even more so drugs. The 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 a gynecologist. After all, timely detection of pathology will help to take appropriate measures in time and avoid unpleasant consequences.
Do not refuse to visit a 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
Pregnancy is often accompanied by the appearance of various pathologies and abnormalities. One of the mostThe most common diagnosis for expectant mothers is premature aging of the placenta during pregnancy. The causes and consequences of this pathology can be completely different: this is the wrong way of life 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 maturation of the organ depend on the period of their appearance and detection. However, a timely visit to a gynecologist, the implementation of all doctor's prescriptions, as well as a he althy lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of this deviation.
It is worth knowing that in most cases, with the diagnosis of "premature aging of the placenta", doctors manage to stabilize the condition of the fetus and future mothers give birth to absolutely he althy and full-fledged children.
