Placenta

Placenta: what is it and how does it work

The placenta is an organ that forms in the uterus during pregnancy and provides nutrition and oxygen exchange between the mother and the fetus. The placenta also plays an important role in eliminating fetal waste.

Historically, the placenta was named after the Latin word for "pie" or "cake" due to its shape and texture. In different languages ​​it is also called "children's place" or by the abbreviations PNA, BNA, JNA, LNH.

The placenta is formed from the tissues of the mother and fetus and consists of three layers. The outer layer of the placenta is adjacent to the wall of the uterus, the inner layer is adjacent to the fetus, and the middle layer contains blood vessels and chorionic villous epithelium. This layer plays a key role in the metabolism between mother and fetus.

The mother's blood enters the placenta through the arteries of the uterus and enters the placental vessels, where it flows to the fetus. In turn, the fetal blood enters the blood vessels of the placenta, where it receives the necessary nutrients and oxygen, which are transferred back to the mother through the veins of the placenta.

The placenta also has an important function in eliminating fetal waste. Waste passes from the fetal circulatory system to the maternal circulatory system and is eliminated from the mother's body through the kidneys and other excretory organs.

Although the placenta has important functions during pregnancy, it can also be a source of problems. Some medical conditions, such as premature placental abruption, can lead to serious complications for the mother and fetus. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor the condition of the placenta during pregnancy.

In conclusion, the placenta is an important organ that provides nutrition and oxygen exchange between mother and fetus during pregnancy. It also plays an important role in removing fetal waste from the mother's body. Although the placenta can be a source of problems, in most cases it functions normally and ensures the healthy development of the fetus.

The baby feels cozy in his mother's tummy. The rhythmic beating of his mother’s heart calms him down, the sound of amniotic fluid lulls him to sleep, and his mother’s voice completes the blissful state. And from all troubles he is reliably protected by a miracle home like no other - the placenta. This is what we want to talk about today.

The placenta is a unique organ of the expectant mother. Everyone knows that the birth process has three stages. The first stage of labor is the dilatation of the cervix. It is characterized by contractions - regular muscle contractions of the uterus, which help the cervix open and help the baby move through the birth canal. The second stage of labor is pushing - contractions of the muscles of the uterus and anterior abdominal wall. During pushing, the birth of a child occurs.

Well, the last, third stage of labor, which women in labor sometimes forget about after tiring contractions and pushing, is the birth of the placenta. Some time later (on average, within 30 minutes) after the birth of the baby, the woman resumes small contractions, which indicate that the placenta is separated from the walls of the uterus.

The placenta is a unique organ. It exists only during pregnancy and provides the baby with oxygen and nutrients. In addition, the placenta produces hormones necessary for the growth and development of the baby. And, of course, one cannot help but dwell on the barrier function of the placenta. Normally, it is she who protects the baby from harmful substances, microorganisms and other negative factors.

The development of the placenta occurs gradually. Only after 14-16 weeks of pregnancy does the placenta reach a certain maturity sufficient for nutrition, breathing and protection of the baby. Until this time, the extra-embryonic organ, the chorion, is responsible for these functions. Towards the end of pregnancy, the so-called aging of the placenta occurs - a natural process as a result of which the functions of the placenta weaken.

What happens to the placenta later?
After the birth of the baby, a spasm of the arteries and veins of the umbilical cord occurs, interrupting the connection between the child and the placenta. The baby is now ready to breathe on his own. Increasing hypoxia stimulates the breathing center of the central nervous system, forcing the child to take his first breath. So cutting the umbilical cord is often only an anatomical procedure, because by this time there is no functional connection between the placenta and the child.

The obstetrician-gynecologist leading the birth always makes sure that after the baby is born, until the umbilical cord is cut, the baby and the placenta are at the same level. Otherwise, some of the baby's blood may enter the placenta through the umbilical cord. Such blood loss can negatively affect the child's condition.

There are different ways to cut off the placenta: fast - immediately after birth and slower after the pulsation stops. Proponents of late placenta cutting believe that cutting the umbilical cord after the pulsation has stopped allows the child to smoothly transition to independent breathing for some time, receiving oxygen from two sources at once.

After the placenta is born, it is examined. The placenta consists of individual lobules, and sometimes additional placental lobules are found. Translated from Latin, placenta means flat cake. This name quite accurately describes its appearance. If the integrity of the placenta is compromised, a manual examination of the uterus is performed to remove any remaining placental tissue in the uterus.

Placental miracles: history and modernity
At all times, many peoples of the world have come up with traditions associated with the placenta, endowing it with miraculous properties. Therefore, from ancient times in Rus', the placenta was buried, in Indonesia, a tree was buried and planted on it, which protected a person’s life. In China, the placenta was dried, and then a drug was prepared from it, which subsequently relieved the symptoms of menopause in the mother. It was customary among many peoples to eat it to stop postpartum bleeding. In recent years, people have often talked about the so-called lotus birth. It was practiced at the birth of priests and energetically sensitive people.

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Photos are the “placenta” in the world of cinema. Almost every child was shown at least once in a frame where the mother's belly and a bag of pink fabric were visible. This is exactly what every person has in sight at birth. And if all the actors who starred in the placental film can be counted on the fingers of one hand, then the exact number of children born thanks to the film is very difficult to calculate. Approximately a billion, give or take two million. Minus our hands and feet, of course. Why, every eighth inhabitant of the planet has people in his family who