Pregnant mothers with a thin placenta give birth to children who are at greater risks of dying from a sudden heart failure and there is a need for a policy change, according to a British physician.
Placenta plays an important role in transferring blood, nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the fetus. However, a thin placenta will affect the flow of nutrients required for the baby's growth, thus affecting proper development of the heart.
David Barker, physician and professor of clinical epidemiologist at the University of Southampton, UK highlighting the risks associated with thin placenta recommended proper facilities to tackle this problem early and to avoid heart complications, Daily Mail reported.
"We should routinely note the measurements after birth. We know the thicker the placenta the better, and that a thin placenta is associated with sudden death," Barker told Daily Mail.
At a meeting to be held Tuesday at the UK Parliament, UK Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham and experts will discuss about a national screening program to identify young people at risk of cardiac arrest and the availability of potentially life-saving defibrillators in public places.
And who needs to go for checkup? Anyone with heart rhythm problems can be victim of cardiac arrest and death. If one is prone to frequent fainting when exerting, it is also another sign of trouble.
According to American Family Physician, a normal placenta would be 22 cm in diameter and between 2.0 and 2.5 cm thick, weighing 470 g (about 1 lb).
Even though heart disease is found more among men, it is one of the leading causes of death among women and children in the country. Apart from thin placenta, many factors are found increasing the risks among children.
According to CDC, overweight or obesity during childhood, high sodium intake and high blood pressure escalate the risks of having a heart disease later.
