During gestation, a child in the mother's womb feels an acute and constant need for regular supply of oxygen and the substances necessary for its development. To provide him with all that is needed and in full, nature has created such unique organs as the chorion and placenta for pregnancy .
The chorion is the external embryonic membrane that surrounds the embryo and is formed at the initial gestation periods. It has a huge number of elongated vessels that penetrate the walls of the uterus.
As the gestation period increases, the size of such outgrowths also grows steadily, they thicken and turn into peculiar villi of the chorion. The latter provide a complete metabolism between the mother and the fetus. The thickness of the chorion at 13 weeks is so much that it gradually transforms into a placenta. It is this temporary body that will be responsible for the viability of the child during gestation.
During pregnancy, the correct attachment of the villous chorion plays a very important role, which is determined in the first session of ultrasound. As a rule, there are three types of organ localization, namely:
- on the back wall of the uterus;
- on the front;
- low attachment.
All of them are not considered pathologies and should not cause fear in the future mother.
The structure of the chorion, which is visible on the monitor of ultrasound apparatus, is represented by a white ring, which has wavy outlines and is located at the outer edge of the fetal egg. A more accurate study provides an opportunity to consider even the smallest villi. The thickness of the chorion at the early stages of pregnancy is measured in millimeters and, as a rule, roughly equals the gestation time in weeks.
What are the functions of the chorion during pregnancy?
This body begins its activity at the earliest stages of development of the embryo and consists of the following:
- providing gas exchange between mother and child;
- protection of the fetus from infections and viruses;
- trophic and excretory function.
Very often, young mothers, having received the results of research with an ultrasound device, face a huge number of incomprehensible and frightening terms associated with this temporary organ. Consider the most common of them:
- Chorion is annular - this is a normal form, which it retains until 8 or 9 weeks of gestation. After this period, the chorion is transformed into a smooth and branchy, which is necessary for its further transformation into the placenta and the full provision of the child with all the necessary substances.
- The chorionic cyst is usually the result of inflammation suffered during pregnancy or just before fertilization. The site on which the cyst is located is not supplied with blood and is separated from the placenta. Usually such formations are small and single, and do not adversely affect the course of pregnancy.
- Hyperplasia of the chorion is a process of increasing the number of its capillaries and their expansion. This will provide an opportunity to save the child's life,
if delivery does not occur on time. - The heterogeneous structure of the chorion or its incomplete development can lead to spontaneous miscarriage. This process is still called hypoplasia. Vorsinki chorion literally break away from the wall of the uterus and the fetal egg exfoliates.
- Often there is a problem with the explanation of what it is: " vascular chorionic villus ". At the stage of formation of this organ, a malfunction may occur, and blood vessels simply can not be laid.
The most favorable conclusion of ultrasound for the future mother is the "unchanged structure of the chorion", if it is issued before 10-11 weeks. Otherwise, this may mean that the pregnancy does not develop in the required order.