The placenta is a temporary organ that develops within the uterus during pregnancy and connects the pregnant woman’s circulation with the developing fetus to support exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste products.
Attached to the wall of the uterus, the placenta connects to the baby through the umbilical cord. It plays a vital role in supporting fetal growth, producing hormones that help maintain pregnancy, and provides an interface for exchange between maternal and fetal blood without normally allowing the two blood supplies to mix directly.
After the baby is born, the placenta separates from the uterine wall and is delivered during the third stage of labor.
QUICK FACT
Although the mother’s and baby’s blood come very close within the placenta, they normally do not mix directly.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Umbilical cord: connects the fetus to the placenta and contains blood vessels that carry blood between them.
- Uterus: the organ in which the pregnancy develops and where the placenta attaches.
SEE ALSO
- Pregnancy
- Fetus
- Uterus
- Placenta Previa
- Labor
- Postpartum Hemorrhage
