The largest proportion of the world’s stillbirths are contributed by India. Studies on the histopathological spectrum of findings in the placenta of stillbirths are relatively less particularly in the extensive Himalayan region of India. At a tertiary care hospital in Himachal Pradesh, we assessed the spectrum of findings in 94 placentas of stillbirths over a period of one year. We observed that 76.59% of mothers belonged to the 20 to 30 years age group and 63.80% stillborns were males.  While a normal study constituted only roughly 40% on gross and histopathological examination, 26.59% revealed acute chorioamnionitis and 13.82%  had acute funisitis, highlighting the prevalent role of infectious causes leading to stillbirths even today.  10.63% showed infarcted chorionic villi and 8.50% cases had thromobotic vasculopathy. Further elucidation of the causes leading to the same and correction of the preventable ones still remain extremely necessary.

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Dr Sarita Asotra

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, IGMC Shimla, H.P.