Placental Weights of Normal and Aneuploid Early Human Fetuses

Placental and body weights were plotted for 252 normal human fetuses less than 600 gm and mean regressions and 95% prediction intervals were calculated. Placentas from 62 aneuploid fetuses were compared to these standards. Placenta to body weight ratios from 34 trisomy-21 fetuses were not reduced but those from 15 trisomy-18 fetuses were generally decreased. One of 5 trisomy-13 ratios was below the prediction interval. Among 7 triploid fetuses the ratios were above the normal interval in 3 and below normal in 4. Three of the triploids that were below were associated with a karyotype of 69, XXX and did not have hydatidiform degeneration. All 4 placentas with hydatidiform changes were abnormally large. All of the 7 triploids had 3-4 syndactyly and 3 had hydrocephalus.