Placental Grade – Grade 1, 2, 3 and 0. Everything you need to know!

The placenta is the special organ that is born and grows in the cavity of the uterus during pregnancy, the basis of which is the correct union of the fruit and matter circulation systems. In the body of a placenta the biochemical processes which are responsible for normal development at pregnancy are carried out, for production of special hormones which supply fruits with oxygen, and also protecting it from the influence of harmful factors. After the child is born, the placenta atrophies and separates for 30 to 50 minutes after delivery.

What are the functions of the placenta?

The placenta has the following functions:

• The baby gets all the food it needs to develop healthily thanks to the placenta.
• Throughout pregnancy, the baby generates waste that its body produces and cannot eliminate on its own. The placenta allows the baby to excrete these substances throughout the pregnancy.
• It serves as a filter for substances, bacteria and viruses to protect the baby against certain infections and diseases.
• It protects the baby from certain external agents such as bumps, temperature changes, infections, etc.
• It generates hormones that allow pregnancy to occur normally and causes maternal metabolism to be modified for the baby’s survival.
• The placenta protects the baby from the mother’s immune system and prevents the body from rejecting it.
• Generates hormones that start the birth process

Maturity types:

1. Placenta gray 0:

Placental grade is defined as zero (0) placenta at the youngest level of the 4 types. Placental zero belongs to or corresponds to the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. It is characterized because the basal plate (closest to the uterus) is the same as the chorionic plate (closest to the fetus).

2. Placenta grade I:

Placental grade 1 belongs to or corresponds to 31 weeks of gestation . At this stage, the placenta ceases to have a homogeneous appearance and calcifications are seen in the chorionic plaque.

3. Placenta grade II:

Placental grade number II develops around 36 weeks of gestation and continues until the end of pregnancy. Here it is not homogeneous due to calcium deposits . The chorionic plate is discontinuous and wavy, and the basal plate has already separated from the myometrium (muscular layer that makes up the thickness of the cervical thickness).

4. Placenta Grade III:

Placental grade III are those that have a large calcium deposit at all levels. Both the basal plate and the chorionic plate appear highly ecorefringent (white in color). The partitions of both parts of the placenta already converge with each other. In clearer definitions, grade III placentas are those that are calcified or aged in their entirety.

If your placenta ages prematurely, such as having a grade III placenta at 36 or 37 weeks gestation . This could mean that the baby is not getting the nutrients it needs or is no longer getting oxygen, having to have an emergency cesarean section.

Why is it important to know the degrees of placental maturation?

It may happen that the placenta matures prematurely. That is, it acquires a degree of maturation of II or III before 34 weeks of gestation . This could result in placental insufficiency, so the baby can restrict or slow down its development. This can lead to hypoxemia (low blood pressure) and nutritional deficiency.