“…It is generally accepted that pregnancies with very low hPL levels are associated with maternal vascular problems, fetal delay of growth, and also with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality (Spellacy et al, 1975;Lebech and Borggaard, 1974;Moshirpur et al, 1981). Recently pregnancies have been described where very low levels or practically complete deficiency of hPL are associated with a normal gestation and the birth of normal babies, mostly male (Bock, Gaede and Trolle, 1976;Bradford and Hargreaves, 1978;Gaede, Trolle and Pedersen, 1978;Nielsen, Pedersen and Kampmann, 1979;Moshirpur et al, 1981;Di Renzo, Anceschi and Volpe, 1982); at least one normal female baby has also been delivered (Borody and Carlton, 1981).…”