Karim D. Kalache, Dale Ojutiku, Hidenori Nishina, Lucy R. Green, Mark A. Hanson
Mild maternal undernutrition in the first half of ovine pregnancy influences placental morphology but not fetal Doppler flow velocity waveforms and fetal heart size
Aims. We wanted to investigate whether experimental
dietary manipulations during early pregnancy influence
placental growth and subsequently the cardiovascular
system as assessed non-invasively by ultrasonography
in the sheep fetus.
Methods. 21 ewes bearing singletons of uniform age
were randomly assigned for the first half of pregnancy
to one of the following study groups: fed 100% of their
nutritional requirements (i. e. controls), global reduction
in total intake by 30% (i. e. 70% global) and reduction
in protein intake by 30% (i. e. 70% protein).
Results. Placentas from the 70% protein group had significantly
more small placentomes, but significantly
fewer large placentomes compared to the 70% global
group. However, there were no significant differences
between the three dietary groups for either the aortic or
the umbilical Doppler velocimetry parameters and the
fetal heart rate or heart size.
Conclusions. The present study shows that early mild
maternal undernutrition produces subtle changes in cotelydonary
weight. However, Doppler and echocardiographic
parameters were not affected by these changes.
Journal of Perinatal Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1619-3997
Volume: 29, 08/2001
Pages: 286 - 292
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