Placental maturity level 3

The placenta is an essential nutrient transport organ in the body of a pregnant woman, because a large amount of nutrients are stored in the placenta, and these nutrients are mainly prepared for the baby. The placenta will gradually mature as the pregnancy progresses. If you go to the hospital for an ultrasound examination, the maturity of the placenta can also be effectively detected. But what does it mean when the test result shows that the placenta maturity is reduced by three degrees?

What does placental maturity level 3 mean?

In general, the maturity of the placenta corresponds to the number of weeks of pregnancy. Mid-pregnancy (12-28 weeks) - placenta grade 0; late pregnancy (30-32 weeks) - placenta grade 1; after 36 weeks - placenta grade 2 (relatively mature).

The more mature the placenta is, the better it is. It is good to have a placenta of appropriate maturity according to your stage of pregnancy, because the placenta is the key to supplying nutrition to the fetus. A prematurely mature placenta means that the placenta ages quickly, which can easily lead to insufficient oxygen supply to the fetus and even cause delayed growth and development of the fetus.

By the end of pregnancy, the placenta is basically mature. If the placenta is found to have entered stage 3 before 37 weeks of pregnancy, and combined with the value of the biparietal diameter and the estimated fetal weight of 2500 grams, the expectant mother should be alert to precocious placenta.

There are four levels of placental maturity: 0, 1, 2, and 3.

Grade 0 means the placenta is not yet mature;

Grade 1 marks the basic maturity of the placenta;

Grade 2 marks the placenta as mature;

Level 3 indicates that the placenta has aged. Due to calcification and cellulose deposition, the placenta's ability to transport oxygen and nutrients is reduced, and the fetus is in danger at any time.

The maturity of each person's placenta is different: mid-pregnancy (12-28 weeks) - placenta grade 0; late pregnancy (30-32 weeks) - placenta grade 1; after 36 weeks - placenta grade 2 (relatively mature). If a grade 3 placenta is found before 37 weeks and combined with the value of the biparietal diameter and the estimated fetal weight of 2500 grams, placental precocity should be considered and the patient should be alert to the possibility of intrauterine growth retardation. At 38 weeks, the placenta enters stage 3, indicating that the placenta is mature.

What is placental aging?

The decline in placental function is called placental aging. The lower the maturity, the better the placenta functions and the more nutrition it can provide to the baby. The higher the maturity, the more aged the placenta is and the less energy and oxygen it provides to the baby, which may even cause intrauterine distress.

Judgment basis of placenta aging

1. Check whether the placenta grade exceeds the gestational month

Generally speaking, when the pregnant mother is close to full-term, the placenta maturity is at level 2 or 3, which is normal. However, if the placental maturity reaches level 2 around 20 weeks of pregnancy, or level 3 around 35 weeks of pregnancy, it indicates that the placental function is reduced. The measure of whether the function of a placenta is declining, which is often called "placental aging", mainly depends on whether the developmental maturity of the placenta exceeds the month of pregnancy.

2. Ultrasound examination of calcification points

Doctors can use B-ultrasound to determine the maturity of the placenta, mainly through the calcification points on the placenta. For example, scattered calcification points are diagnosed as level 2, and connected calcification points are diagnosed as level 3. But this will be affected by subjective factors to some extent. Some doctors may see it as level 3, while others may only see it as level 2.

So, how can we confirm the aging of the placenta? It is recommended that the expectant father help the expectant mother find a doctor who has rich experience in B-ultrasound examination to check the calcification points of the placenta. In addition, obstetric B-ultrasound is also needed to check the amount of amniotic fluid, whether the umbilical artery blood flow rate is normal, fetal heart rate monitoring, and check for exfoliated cells on the vaginal wall. These can reflect the condition of the placenta and must be considered comprehensively before a diagnosis can be made.