MEETING ABSTRACT Open Access The placenta and adverse pregnancy outcomes – opening the black box?

A healthy placenta is critical for a healthy pregnancy. Conversely, abnormal placental structure and function is seen in conditions which are associated with stillbirth including: fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, placen-tal abruption and obstetric cholestasis. Abnormalities can be seen ranging from a reduction in placental size in stillbirth to microscopic changes in placental villous architecture [1]. Placental examination is advocated after stillbirth by respected guidelines [2-4]; this recommen-dation is based upon the frequency of abnormalities seen in placentas after stillbirth [5,6], the reduction in unexplained stillbirths when placental histological exam-ination is performed and the cost-effectiveness per abnormality detected [1,7]. The placenta has previously been referred to as a “diar