Perinat. Med. Morphometric investigations of terminal villi of diabetic placentas in is (1987) 193 relation to the White classification of diabetes mellitus

The fetal risk in maternal diabetes mellitus is high [5, 6]. The reasons for fetal macrosomatia are controversially as are those for intrauterine fetal growth retardation and intrauterine fetal death. These mostly happen without prodromes and are feared by all obstetricians. Morphologists have described signs of a so-called chronic placental insufficiency in cases of small for date infants and signs of a so-called acute placental insufficiency in cases of sudden intrauterine fetal death. In recent studies no distinct differences in the morphology of normal placentas and diabetic placentas have been described.