Placental and Foetal

Circulation

Presented By,
Monalisha Bera
1st Year M.Sc. Nursing
MCH, Kolkata
Placental circulation

Placenta is seen in only eutherian mammals

it is-
Discoid in shape
Hemochorial
Deciduate
Types of placental circulation
system

• Uteroplacental circulation

• Fetoplacental circulation
•Uteroplacental circulation
Mature placenta has volume of 500ml
blood

• 350ml occupied by Villi System

• 150 ml lying in the Intervillous space

Intervillous blood flow at term is 500-600 ml/min

Pressure in the supplying uterine artery
70-80 mm of Hg

Pressure in the intervillous space

• During contraction 30-50 mm of Hg
• During relaxation 10-15 mm of Hg

Pressure in the uterine vein

8 mm of Hg
Arterial circulation
ar

internal blood supply of uterus

Circulation of the intervillous space
Extravillous trophoblast
 Endovascular trophoblast:
migrates down the spiral artery and invade replaces
the endothelium.

 Interstitial trophoblast:
that invade as far as the inner 3rd of myometrium.
Endovascular trophoblast
Venous drainage of the uteroplacental
circulation

• Via uterine vein

 Fetoplacental circulation

• Two umbilical arteries enter the chorionic plate underneath the

amnion
• Breaks into small branches and enter the stem villi of chorionic villi

• Further divides into primary, secondary, tertiary vessels

• Blood flows through terminal capillary networks or through stunts

• Fetal blood flow through placenta is about 400 ml/
min; mainly facilitated by fetal heart pumping

• Pressure in the umbilical artery is 60 mm of Hg

• Villous capillary pressure is 20-40 mm of Hg

• Pressure in umbilical vein 10 mm of Hg

 Placental barrier
• Fetal and maternal circulation are separated by tissues called
placental barrier or placental membrane.
• In early pregnancy it consist of
A. syncitotrophoblast
B. Cytotrophoblast
C. Basement membrane
D. Stromal tissue
E. Endothelium of the fetal capillary wall with its basement membrane
Placental barrier
Alpha zone and Beta zone
• At term in specialized zones of the villi where the syncitial layer is
thin and anuclear is called vasculosyncitial membrane or alpla zone

• Remaining thick patches are called beta zone

 The fetal
circulation
 Changes of the fetal circulation
at birth
• umbilical vein ligamentum teres

• ductus venosus ligamentum venosum

• Ductus arteriosus ligamentum arteriosum

• distal part of Umbilical artery lateral umbilical

ligaments

• Foramen ovale fossa ovalis

Change in the fetal circulation after birth
Thank You