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Review
. 2020 Mar;47(1):147-162.
doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2019.10.004. Epub 2019 Dec 18.

Fetal Membranes, Not a Mere Appendage of the Placenta, but a Critical Part of the Fetal-Maternal Interface Controlling Parturition

Ramkumar Menon  1 , John J Moore  2
Affiliations
Review

Fetal Membranes, Not a Mere Appendage of the Placenta, but a Critical Part of the Fetal-Maternal Interface Controlling Parturition

Ramkumar Menon et al. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Fetal membranes (FMs) play a role in pregnancy maintenance and promoting parturition at term. The FMs are not just part of the placenta, structurally or functionally. Although attached to the placenta, the amnion has a separate embryologic origin, and the chorion deviates from the placenta by the first month of pregnancy. Other than immune protection, these FM functions are not those of the placenta. FM dysfunction is associated with and may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Ongoing research may identify biomarkers for pending preterm premature rupture of the FMs as well as therapeutic agents, to prevent it and resulting preterm birth.

Keywords: Aging; Amniochorion; GM-CSF; Oxidative stress; Preterm birth; Senescence; pPROM.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure R. Menon is supported by grants from (NIH/NICHD1R03HD098469-01), NIH/1R21AI140249-01A1. J.J. Moore is supported by Burroughs Wellcome Fund Prematurity Research Grant #1015024.

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