Histological study on the structural changes of placenta in smoking iraqi mothers

Abstract EN

The placenta was chosen as a possible sample for detection of degenerative changes by tobacco smoking in the human pregnant female.

Passive smoking mother during pregnancy is associated with increase of collagen content of the villi, decrease fetal weight, increase in the number of villi, increase of trophoblastic apoptosis and increase in the thickness of matron fetal barrier.

Sections, 3-5 micron thickness of 40 full term placentae of passive smoking mothers and 30 number of gestational matched placenta were used as control, they were studied under light microscope.

Appreciable degenerative changes were found in the group of passive smoker females, he main findings were: thickening of the basement membrane of placental villus, increase in the collagen content of the villus, and increase in the syncytial budding, increase in the maternal-fetal barrier thickness and extensive loss of trophoblastic.

This study concluded that tobacco is harmful to the human tissue and vascular system in general suggesting that smoking results in deteriorating organ structure and function.