Temperature effects on oxygen affinity of human fetal blood

In an effort to understand the effects of temperature changes on fetal oxygenation, the temperature effects were measured on oxygen affinity of whole blood from term human fetuses. The blood obtained was tonometered at delivery in two flasks gassed with 95% N2 (+ 5% CO2 or 20.9% + 5% CO2, and mixed aliquots from each flask in different proportions to obtain samples for analysis of PO2 and percent saturation. The oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve was constructed and P50 determined at two or three different temperatures for each batch of blood. As temperature increased from 30 to 41 degrees C, human fetal blood bound O2 less avidly, the temperature coefficient for changes in P50 being 0.0255 per degree C. This temperature effect was similar to that in adult blood, although at any temperature O2 affinity of fetal blood was greater than that of the adult. Placental oxygen exchange could be significantly affected by changes in temperature such as occur during hypo- or hyperthermia, as with maternal exercise.