Objective Placental pathology is a well-known cause of perinatal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, and may correlate with placental growth, which can be assessed indirectly by anthropometric placental measurements. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate mean placental weight and its relationship with birthweight and maternal body mass index (BMI). Methods Fresh (not formalin fixed) consecutively delivered placentae of term newborns (37–42 weeks), collected between February 2022 and August 2022, and the mothers and newborns, were included. Mean placental weight, birthweight and maternal BMI were calculated. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, linear regression, and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyse continuous and categorical data. Results Out of 390 samples, 211 placentae (with 211 newborns and mothers) were included in this study after exclusion criteria were applied. Mean placental weight was 494.45 ± 110.39 g, and mean term birth weight/placental weight ratio was 6.21 ± 1.21 (range, 3.35–11.62 g). Placental weight was positively correlated with birthweight and maternal BMI, but not with newborn sex. Linear regression effect estimation of placental weight on birthweight revealed a medium correlation ( R2 = 0.212; formula, 1.4553 × X + 2246.7, where X is placental weight [g]). Conclusion Placental weight was revealed to positively correlate with birthweight and maternal BMI.

Aim:The aim of the article is to illustrate that women with preeclamptic organ dysfunction can present with a clinical picture of acute pancreatitis. Background: Pancreatitis is a rare condition complicating pregnancy with a quoted incidence of 1-3 cases per 10,000 deliveries, with maternal mortality and fetal loss closer to 3%. Currently, there is increasing speculation that in the absence of any known risk factors, pancreatitis may be associated with a rare spectrum of preeclampsia. Case description: A 25-years-old primigravida at a period of gestation of 34 weeks presented with an acute onset of epigastric pain/tenderness and vomiting of one-day duration. Her BMI was 18 kg/m 2 , and she did not have any risk factors for acute pancreatitis. Other known etiologies of acute pancreatitis were excluded, but an ultrasound scan revealed swollen pancreas with a thin rim of free fluid in the splenorenal pouch with normal gallbladders. Also, serum amylase was significantly elevated. On the 3rd day of her illness, blood pressure was persistently elevated along with albuminuria and with a falling trend of platelet count. Further, she developed acute renal failure with metabolic acidosis. A category 2 cesarean section was performed, and a healthy baby was delivered. On the 4th postoperative day, her biochemical parameters were back to normal. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen performed on the 4th postoperative day showed features suggestive of resolving interstitial pancreatitis. Conclusion:In conclusion, acute pancreatitis should be considered as a complication of preeclampsia, especially in patients deteriorating despite management of preeclampsia. Clinical significance: A woman with preeclampsia is at increased risk of developing systemic complications due to organ dysfunction, which may result in a unique and rare clinical picture at presentation. Thus, detecting the underlying organ dysfunction is necessary for a better pregnancy outcome.

Weight gain in pregnant mothers has several influencing factors. Studies have shown that maternal weight gain influenced both maternal and fetal immediate and future outcomes. However, the recommended amount of weight gain for optimum maternal and fetal outcome is still uncertain. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at Teaching Hospital Kandy, for a period of one-year to describe the influence of maternal weight gain during pregnancy in selected fetal outcome such birth weight and APGAR score at birth. 425 participants with normal pre gestational BMI (18.5 kg/m 2-24.9 kg/m 2) were selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Medical disorders complicating pregnancies, twins, previous miscarriages and fetal abnormalities were excluded. Data was extracted from the antenatal record, bed head ticket and by measuring relevant variables (birth weight and APGAR score). Maternal age distributed from 17 to 43 years (Mean=27.97 years: SD=5.72 years). Maternal height distributed from 125cm to 172cm (Mean=154.4cm: SD=5.83cm). Pre pregnancy BMI distributed from 18.5 kg/m 2 to 24.9 kg/m 2 (Mean=21.67 kg/m 2 : SD=2.2 kg/m 2). Maternal body weight at delivery distributed from 36 kg to 116 kg (Mean=63.8kg: SD= 11.82). Pregnancy weight gain distributed from 3.5kg to 24.5 kg (Mean=9.03kg: SD=3.87). Birth weight distributed from 1.24kg to 4.04 kg (Mean=2.93: SD=0.438). All exposure parameters had a positive linear correlation with birth weight. Almost all the study participants (N=423:99.5%) had achieved an APGAR score of >7 within 10 minutes of birth. In conclusion, maternal weight gain does not affect the birth weight of the newborn and no conclusion is derived on maternal weight gain causing any hypoxic situation at the time of birth. These findings are only applicable to normal pregnancies due to the exclusion criteria. Further studies are recommended with a larger sample size and a prospective cohort design with continuous follow up during the antenatal period.