Abstract
The degree of placental transfusion in the unassisted naturally born lambs (NB) was investigated and compared with both early (EC) and late cord clamped (LC) lambs delivered by cesarean section. Blood volume was measured in 22 full-term, lambs at ages 40 min to 12 hrs using the double label dilution technique (PIHSA-125 plasma tag and radiochromium-51 red cell tag). The lambs were of 137-148 days gestation and weighed 2500-5500 g. The umbilical cords of the 9 NB lambs were severed by the mothers either by chewing it within a minute or standing up ijimediately after delivery which allowed the weights of the lambs to stretch and break the cords. The cords were clamped 10 sec after birth in the 8 EC lambs and after 3-5 min in 5 LC lambs. Blood and plasma volumes showed no significant differences amongst the 3 groups probably due to the varying degrees of plasma extravasation during the first hours of life. Mean red cell volume (± S.E.) was 36.7 ± 2.1 ml/kg in the NB group which was significantly greater than the 29.8 ± 2.0 ml/kg of the EC group, p < .05; but smaller than that of LC group, 50.4 ± 2.3 ml/kg, P< .005. These findings indicated that a partial placental transfusion (about 20% more than EC group) occurred in the naturally born lambs, rather than a more complete one as in the LC group.
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Yao, A., Lu, T., Castellanos, R. et al. PLACENTAL TRANSFUSION IN THE NATURALLY BORN LAMBS. Pediatr Res 11, 545 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-01051
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-01051