Placental pathology differs from other disciplines in which, the placental pathologist encounters disorders in two people: the mother and her fetus. However, these changes are not always specific for a particular disease, and overlapping of these features occurs in various disorders. If the placenta is examined minutely, it provides much insight into the prenatal health of the baby and the mother. The aim of the present study is to examine the morphological changes in placentas of normal and high risk pregnancies, and to evaluate the fetal outcome in these cases, which in turn will improve the quality of placental diagnosis. The study group included 25 placentas from normal term pregnancies that were taken as controls, and 75 placentas from high risk pregnancies (cases) of both maternal and foetal causes, comprising cases of pregnancy-induced hypertension, anaemia, intrauterine growth retardation, maternal diabetes and twin pregnancies. Seventy five placentas from high risk pregnancies (cases) comprising anemia (23), pregnancy-induced hypertension (31), intrauterine growth retardation (15), diabetes mellitus (3), and twins (3) were grossly and microscopically evaluated and compared with placentas of normal pregnancy. Placental examination serves as a very valuable diagnostic tool to understand and explain the pathophysiology of various conditions affecting the mother, child, or the placenta itself.