Comparative Morphometry of the Human Placenta at High Altitude and at Sea Level

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Abstract
In a study of 209 placentas from normal term pregnancies, 109 women were delivered at high altitude and 100 at sea level. The shape of the placenta was contrasted with various placental, maternal, and fetal factors. A significant preponderance of placental shapes other than the round or oval form (with a concomitant decrease in the round form) was found at high altitude. At high altitude, the round placentas were thicker than those with other shapes, the oval shape showing stability of proportion. These trends increased with advancing age and parity of the mother. "Other-shaped" placentas were associated with higher levels of cord hemoglobin at high altitude. Variability of placental shape at high altitude appeared greater in the case of the male conceptus. The "oval-shaped" placenta seems to be the most stable form. The described changes in placental shape at high altitude are viewed as an adaptation to unfavorable environmental conditions, the exact nature of which is not known.

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