Morphometric evaluation.

Placental dysfunction can be evaluated through the quantitative analysis of the morphological changes in the placental structures that are intimately related to the transfer function of the placenta. This is illustrated in the results collected from the placenta of an SGA infant, which show that this placenta differs from a control group by having significantly less functional tissues and surface areas of exchange between mother and fetus. These structural changes can undoubtedly impair placental function and fetal growth in utero. In this context, morphometry is presented as an indirect and noninvasive approach to the study of the physiology and physiopathology of gestation in the human.