Abstract
Reduction of uteroplacental blood flow in one uterine horn of pregnant rats was achieved by Wigglesworth's technique (ligation of uterine vessels at lower end of one horn on the 17th day of pregnancy). Cesarian section was performed on the 21st day. Fetal death or stunting occurred in fetuses located near the ligation. The most stunted fetus was compared with the corresponding fetus in the normal horn and a statistical analysis of 35 such pairs was carried for fetal weight and organ/fetal weight ratio of all organs. Stunted newborns had a mean weight of 2.77 g vs. 4.76 for controls. The liver, lungs, and kidneys, were the most stunted, and were affected more than the fetus as a whole, whereas the brain, placenta, and heart were least affected. The ratios for thymus, spleen, pancreas, and submaxillary gland were not statistically different from those of controls. These observations are, in part, comparable with those made in human newborns in maternal hypertension and ‘placental insufficiency’. Histologically the organs differed little from those of control fetuses, except for lack of glycogen in livers of stunted fetuses. Even very stunted organs appeared to have matured normally. These experiments extend and confirm Wigglesworth's data on the weight of liver, brain, and placenta. They support the suggested relationship between uterine blood flow and fetal growth. They show an interesting discrepancy in the effect on growth and on maturation. (SPR)
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blanc, W. 71 Experimental Fetal Growth Retardation. Pediatr Res 1, 218 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196705000-00078
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196705000-00078