Blood Flow and Respiratory Gas Exchange in the Human Placenta at Term: A Data Update

Reliable measurements using modern techniques and consensus in experimental design have enabled the assessment of novel data sets for normal maternal and foetal respiratory physiology at term. These data sets include (a) principal factors affecting placental gas transfer, e.g., maternal blood flow through the intervillous space (IVS) (500 mL/min) and foeto-placental blood flow (480 mL/min), and (b) O₂, CO₂ and pH levels in the materno-placental and foeto-placental circulation. According to these data, the foetus is adapted to hypoxaemic hypoxia. Despite flat oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) gradients between the blood of the IVS and the umbilical arteries of the foetus, adequate O₂ delivery to the foetus is maintained by the higher O₂ affinity of the foetal blood, high foetal haemoglobin (HbF) concentrations, the Bohr effect, the double-Bohr effect, and high foeto-placental (=umbilical) blood flow. Again, despite flat gradients, adequate CO₂ removal from the foetus is maintained by a high diffusion capacity, high foeto-placental blood flow, the Haldane effect, and the double-Haldane effect. Placental respiratory gas exchange is perfusion-limited, rather than diffusion-limited, i.e., O₂ uptake depends on O₂ delivery.