Abstract
Based on previous studies we have postulated that blood volume expansion during pregnancy is a key physiological adjustment since it makes possible the ircrease in cardiac output and utero-placental blood flow, necessary to sustain normal fetal growth. This idea was tested in non-smoking, non-hipertensive gravidas who by ultrasound scanning were found to carry either a normal size fetus (“control”) (15 cases) or a small-for-date fetus (“experimental”) (15 cases). At weeks 37 - 43 of gestation measurements of plasma volume, using the Evans blue method, and cardiac output, using eohocardiography, were performed in all subjects while in a left lateral position. At delivery the newborns were examined to establish adequacy of weight for gestacional age and to rule out congenital malformations ard infections. Plasma volume was 3120 ± 484 (S.D) ml in controls and 2717 ± 217 ml in experimentals (p <0.01). Cardiac output was 6127 ± 868 ml/min in controls and 5282 ± 891 ml/min in experimentals (p<0.01). In both groups combined plasma volume was significantly correlated with cardiac output (r= 0.45; p<0.01) ard both plasma volume and cardiac output were significantly correlated with birth weight (r= 0.47; p < 0.01 ard r=0.42; p<0.01, respectively). The data support the hypothesis that inadecuate maternal plasma volume expansion my lead to fetal growth retardation. (Supported by grant 116/85 from the Directión de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Chile).
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Rosso, R., Donoso, E., Espinoza, R. et al. 4. MATERNAL HEMODYNAMIC CHANGES AND FETAL GROWTH RETARDATION. Pediatr Res 23, 647 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198806000-00027
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198806000-00027