The effect of replacing fetal hemoglobin with adult hemoglobin on blood gas and acid-base parameters in human fetuses.
In order to determine whether the differences between fetal and adult hemoglobins are important to fetal oxygenation, pH, PO2, PCO2, bicarbonate, and base excess were measured in umbilical venous and arterial blood samples obtained from fetuses with erythroblastosis fetalis. The values from fetuses that had previously been transfused and had predominantly adult hemoglobins were compared with those that had not been transfused and had predominantly fetal hemoglobin. Umbilical arterial blood was more acidotic and had a greater base deficit, while the umbilical venous PO2 was 4.8 mm Hg higher in the samples with adult hemoglobins than in those with fetal hemoglobin. The results suggest that oxygenation of fetal tissue is better with fetal hemoglobin but that adult hemoglobin can be compensated by an increase in oxygen transfer.
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000328:Adult; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D001805:Blood Transfusion, Intrauterine; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D004899:Erythroblastosis, Fetal / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005319:Fetal Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy
D001639:Bicarbonates; D006454:Hemoglobins; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005319:Fetal Hemoglobin; D010100:Oxygen