title: Relationship between metabolic rate and body size in fetal life.
abstract: To define the O2 consumption rate (VO2) versus body mass relation during fetal growth, we compared fetal sheep VO2 at mid and late gestation. VO2 per kg wet weight was 37% higher at mid gestation. However, VO2 per kg dry weight was 2.5 times higher, and associated with a high viscera/body weight ratio. Fetal VO2 tends to grow proportionally to body mass because marked decreases in the relative growth of visceral organs and in the VO2/dry weight ratio are accompanied by a decrease in body water.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep