A Histopathological Study of Placental Changes in Pregnancies Complicated by Preeclampsia

Abstract

Background: Placenta is a vital organ and the most accurate record of the infants prenatal experience. Preeclampsia is a serious complication encountered during pregnancy. Preeclampsia affects approximately 5–10% of all pregnancies regarding for almost 15% of pregnancy associated deaths, placing both mothers and babies at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. The conventional treatment to manage the preeclampsia is with anti-hypertensive drugs, bed rest and early delivery, which may lead to further complications. In this regard, safer alternative interventions like music therapy and yoga are emerging as promising strategies for the healthcare community. In the present study, the histopathological changes in the placentae of preeclamptic pregnancies were studied after giving interventions of music listening and yoga therapy for duration of 14 days in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out among hospitalized preeclamptic pregnant women (n=75), and normotensive controls (n=25) from the antenatal ward of Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, India. Preeclamptic patients were assigned into three experimental groups, group 1 music listening (n=25), group 2 yoga therapy (n=25) and group 3 preeclamptic control groups (n=25) using non-randomisation. Patient’s blood pressure (BP), both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), were measured before and after giving the intervention in the study groups. Placentae were collected after delivery for evaluating the histopathological changes in the study groups.

Results: There was a reduction in basement membrane thickening in 37% in the placental samples of preeclamptic music listening group and a reduction in 25% of placentae of preeclamptic yoga therapy group as compared with preeclamptic controls. There was a reduction of stromal fibrosis in 50% of placentae of preeclamptic yoga therapy group as compared with preeclamptic controls.

Conclusion: The villous and stromal pathology of placentae between preeclamptic study groups and normotensive control pregnant women were statistically significant. In contrast, no statistically significant differences were found in villous and stromal pathology among the preeclamptic study groups.