Thank you for your interest in our work and for visiting our Yale website. We would be very happy to either review the placenta(s) from your child(ren) with autism, or from any future deliveries that you may have.

We can either analyze slides from past pregnancies or placentas from future pregnancies, as described below. We can not analyze a placenta while you are pregnant.

Placentas from Past Deliveries

For past deliveries you will need to confirm if the placenta was sent to the pathology department at the hospital where the baby delivered and if they still have blocks and/or slides from the placenta (the placenta itself is not saved, just small pieces in wax, called blocks, or glass slides that can be examined under the microscope).

You can find forms that may help you to request slides to be sent to me at Yale at the following link:

Placental Examination for Families Concerned About ASD

On this page you will find links to forms that we will need you to fill out and instructions on how to request the slides be sent to me at Yale. Once I receive the material and look at it I will generate a report for your primary doctor or to whomever you think is most appropriate. Since my findings can be challenging to explain to patients, I also have a clinic on Thursday afternoons where I can meet you to discuss the significance of the findings, as well as options for pursuing future pregnancies, should that be something you wish to discuss.

Please note that it is very helpful if, along with the slides and pathology reports, either you or your doctor, fill out the clinical history form. Any additional clinical records that are easy to obtain would also be appreciated (for example, a clinical summary of your case, any karyotyping, ultrasound reports, etc.).

 

Placentas from Future Pregnancies

If you are currently pregnant and wish to have the placenta from your child examined in our laboratory, please note the following two options. It may be helpful if you investigate these options before you deliver so that you do not have to make last minute arrangements, which may be difficult in the evening or on weekends.

1. Have slides sent to Yale after your hospital examines the placenta

If your doctor decides to have your child's placenta sent to the pathology department at the hospital where you deliver, then please follow the instructions above for Past Pregnancies.

If no one requests or wishes to have the placenta sent to the pathology department at the hospital where you deliver, then first see if you can request it to be sent. If so, then again, after they examine it, follow the steps outlined above under Past Pregnancies. If the local pathology department is unwilling to receive the placenta, then please follow the instructions below.

2. Send the placenta to Yale

1. Request that the placenta be placed in a water-tight half-gallon sized container (usually a plastic tub similar to a small ice cream container) along with at least 1,000 ml (about a quart) of formalin. You will need to request the formalin from the pathology department. It may be easiest to have them place the placenta in the container and formalin, and send it to Yale, although some pathology departments may not offer this service.

2. Place the water-tight container into a sealable FedEx Biohazard bag (this can often be obtained from a FedEx office, or you may need to request this by calling FedEx at: 800-463-3339 (800 GO-FEDEX)).

3. Place the Biohazard bag into a well-sealed box, ship it via FedEx to:

Harvey J. Kliman, M.D., Ph.D.
Yale University School of Medicine
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
375 Congress Avenue, LSOG 406
New Haven, CT 06519
203-785-7642

You will need to pay for shipping. Please do not send materials COD, or charge the recipient on the FedEx airbill. We will not be able to accept the placenta under these circumstances.

 

Payment

Please note that we would appreciate some form of payment for our analysis, which can be through your health insurance, if you have such coverage. To see if your insurance might cover this expense, please note specifically the link to the Yale Medical Group insurance coverage page:

Yale Medical Group Insurance Information

If you have no coverage and your samples can be used as part of our research analysis, then there will be no charge for this service.

If you have any specific questions related to the process, please call my clinical office number at:

203-785-7642

My assistant Kristin Milano will get back to you as soon as she is able to.

We look forward to being able to help you,

Harvey Kliman, MD, PhD
Yale University School of Medicine