What grade of placenta is good?

The maturity of the placenta is different in different stages of pregnancy. People often hear terms like grade 1 placenta and grade 1 placenta. These are actually used to describe the maturity of the placenta. The higher the grade, the more mature the placenta. For example, if the placenta reaches grade three, it means it has aged and may even have placental calcification. The maturity of the placenta has a great impact on the fetus, so which grade of placenta is the best?

What grade of placenta is good?

The maturity of the placenta can be divided into four levels: level 0, level 1, level 2 and level 3. Level 1 is the best and can provide good nutrition to the baby. Level 2 placenta begins to age, but it will not affect fetal absorption. Level 3 placenta means that the baby is about to be delivered.

Grade 0 generally refers to the second trimester of pregnancy, which is about the placenta between 12 and 28 weeks of pregnancy;

Level 1 is the placenta in the late pregnancy of the expectant mother, about 30 weeks to 32 weeks of pregnancy, which means that the placenta is basically mature;

Grade 2 refers to the placenta after 36 weeks of pregnancy, which indicates that the placenta is relatively mature;

Level 3 refers to the placenta after 38 weeks of pregnancy, which means that the placenta has matured and begun to age. 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 grade 3, indicating that the placenta is mature.

How to judge placental 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 between level 2 and level 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, if the calcification points are scattered, it is diagnosed as grade 2, and if the calcification points are connected into pieces, it is diagnosed as grade 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 diagnose placental aging? You should find an experienced doctor to do an ultrasound examination to check the placental calcification. In addition, we also need to check the amount of amniotic fluid, use color ultrasound to see whether the umbilical artery blood flow rate is normal, monitor the fetal heart rate, check the urine for the ratio of estriol and creatinine, check the exfoliated cells on the vaginal wall, etc. These can reflect the condition of the placenta and must be considered comprehensively before a diagnosis can be made.