F118Placental size and growth in early pregnancy: does it affect birthweight?

Objectives To study the influence of placental size and growth from first to mid-second trimesters on birthweight. Subjects/methods Eighty one pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy were recruited at 11–14 weeks' gestation. For each case we performed three scans of the placenta the first at recruitment and the following two in three weeks intervals. The volume of the placenta was measured at each visit using a three dimensional ultrasound scanner. The information for the birth weight was obtained from the hospital notes. Customised centiles were used to correct birth weight for gestational age at delivery, parity, BMI and ethnic origin. Results The placental growth rate from the first to the early second trimester was associated with birthweight (r = 0.33, P < 0.01) while the growth later in the second trimester was not. The placental volume, corrected for gestational age, at the first trimester (11–14 weeks: r = 0.3, P < 0.01), early second (14 to 17 weeks: r = 0.42, P < 0.01) trimester but not at the mid-second (17–20 weeks) trimester was correlated with birthweight. The placental growth rate was not related to maternal BMI, or parity. Discussion This study demonstrates the influence of early placental development on pregnancy outcome and supports the hypothesis that early pregnancy events can affect the final pregnancy outcome. Our data suggests that placental growth in early pregnancy could be a useful independent predictor of birthweight.