[The correlation of reduced amniotic fluid volume, placental maturity and morphologic placental changes in placental insufficiency].

A reduced quantity of amniotic fluid is diagnosed semiquantitatively in 41 pregnant women in the 38th to 40th week of gestation. In 21 cases, the birth of a mature hypotrophic child below the 10th weight percentile is registered. Sonographically, the placentas of the mature eutrophic children significantly more frequently show a grade III maturity and the placentas of the mature hypotrophic children a grade II maturity. In contrast to the values found in the placentas of eutrophic children and in the placentas with grade III maturity, a significantly decreased villous vascularization is determined in the placentas of hypotrophic children and in placentas with grade II maturity. The area of attachment of the placenta is 301 cm2 for the eutrophic children and 222 cm2 for the hypotrophic children. All findings are discussed and compared with the relevant data of the pertinent literature.