Influence of advanced maternal age on histology of full term human placenta in Basrah

Abstract

Advanced maternal age defines as age over 35 years at estimated date of delivery.The aims of this research were to determine the impact of maternal age on placental barrier thickness, fetal and placental weight .The study was conducted one total of 25 human full term placentas of multiparous healthy pregnant women obtained from department of Obstetrics and Gynecology unit in Bin Gazwan hospital in Basrah .The examined women were divided into 2 groups ;the control group of consisted of 10 placentas from pregnant women between age of( 20 -34) years and experimental group consisted of 15 placenta from pregnant women of 35years old and older .Stereological and histological study were applied to determine the effect of advanced maternal age on placental barrier and fetal and placental weight . The results showed:
1. Increase in the mean of placental barrier thickness of the placenta of mother >35 years than that of placenta of control group (20-34) .
2. Increase in the main placental weight of mothers >35 years in comparison to that of the control . .
3. Decrease in mean birth weight of mothers > 35 years in comparison to that of control.
4. Extensive morphological changes in the structural component of terminal villi (capillaries, stroma and trophoblast). The results showed that there is an increase in the thickness of placental barrier of placenta, decrease in vascularization of the terminal villi and increase in stoma and fibrin deposition in the placenta of mothers more than 35 years of age in comparison to the control group .