Renal and cerebral responses to hypoxemia in the ovine fetus

Mild to moderate hypoxemia without major changes in pH and pCO(2) does not reduce fetal renal blood flow and fetal urine production rate. Other factors such as acidemia, hypercapnia or changes in lung liquid production or fetal swallowing are candidates for the reduced amniotic fluid in the growth retarded fetus. Mild hypoxemia influences the fetal brain development in that the migration of PKC immunoreactive cells is delayed Lifter a period of 48 h of hypoxemia. This, could be due to the fact that under these circumstances the expected compensatory increase in fetal cerebral blood flow was only significant 1 h after the onset of hypoxemia. Further research on the final position of the hippocampal neurons in term lambs, subjected to fetal mild hypoxemia. can give more information on the effects of hypoxemia on the fetal brain. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.