Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Placenta Abnormalities

Kimberly M. Rathbun  1 , Jason P. Hildebrand  2
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Placenta Abnormalities

Kimberly M. Rathbun et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

The placenta attaches to the uterine wall and allows metabolic exchange between the fetus and the mother. The placenta has both embryonic and maternal components. The embryonic portion comes from the outermost embryonic membrane. The maternal portion develops from the decidua basalis of the uterus. The placental membrane separates the embryonic blood from maternal blood but is thin enough to allow diffusion and transport of nutrients and waste. A normal placenta is round or oval-shaped and about 22 cm in diameter. It is 2 cm to 2.5 cm thick and weighs about a pound.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Kimberly Rathbun declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Jason Hildebrand declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Oyelese Y, Smulian JC. Placenta previa, placenta accreta, and vasa previa. Obstet Gynecol. 2006 Apr;107(4):927-41. - PubMed
    1. Cheung CS, Chan BC. The sonographic appearance and obstetric management of placenta accreta. Int J Womens Health. 2012;4:587-94. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zaideh SM, Abu-Heija AT, El-Jallad MF. Placenta praevia and accreta: analysis of a two-year experience. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1998 Aug;46(2):96-8. - PubMed
    1. Silver RM, Landon MB, Rouse DJ, Leveno KJ, Spong CY, Thom EA, Moawad AH, Caritis SN, Harper M, Wapner RJ, Sorokin Y, Miodovnik M, Carpenter M, Peaceman AM, O'Sullivan MJ, Sibai B, Langer O, Thorp JM, Ramin SM, Mercer BM, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network Maternal morbidity associated with multiple repeat cesarean deliveries. Obstet Gynecol. 2006 Jun;107(6):1226-32. - PubMed
    1. Silver RM. Abnormal Placentation: Placenta Previa, Vasa Previa, and Placenta Accreta. Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Sep;126(3):654-668. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources