I recently read an article about yet another reason to ensure a healthy placenta. A thin placenta can lead to sudden cardiac arrest in later life according to reports published from a Finnish study. An unhealthy placenta can mean an undernourished baby, which also increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
In addition to this, sudden death has been independently linked to low educational achievement which can be influenced by developmental abnormalities. In a previous post, I discussed how placental insufficiency can be attributed to developmental issues.
Increasingly, abnormalities in prenatal growth "have been implicated in the later development of coronary artery disease."
What's also fascinating about this study was the researchers found no associations "with birth weight, duration of gestation, head circumference, or length, or with maternal parity or age. In addition, the study found no associations with shape, length, or surface area of the placenta.
As more research is done on the placenta, a running theme is occurring: Researchers are beginning to discover more and more the importance of the placenta and what the placenta is actually responsible for. It's common sense though when you think about it; if the organ responsible for growing and maintaining the health of a baby, it would be reasonable to assume a healthy organ would create a healthier baby than a nonhealthy organ.
I look forward to what researchers will discover next.
References: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Arrhythmias/34884?utm_content&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&xid=NL_DHE_2012-09-21&eun=g474483d0r&userid=474483&email=navelgazingmidwife%40gmail.com&mu_id=5571309
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