Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
08:19
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Maternal plasma HbF levels in pregnancy
Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine : the Journal of the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Maternal serum hemoglobin F (HbF) levels were studied in normal pregnancies. Elevated HbF after 15 weeks gestation may indicate transplacental hemorrhage, a potential complication.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Hematology
Background:
- Hemoglobin F (HbF) is the primary oxygen-carrying protein in fetal red blood cells.
- Maternal serum HbF levels are typically low in non-pregnant adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serial changes in maternal serum hemoglobin F (HbF) levels during normal pregnancy.
- To determine if maternal HbF levels can serve as an indicator of transplacental hemorrhage.
Main Methods:
- Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serial maternal serum HbF fractions in 23 normal pregnancies.
- HbF levels were analyzed across trimesters and gestational weeks.
Main Results:
- Maternal HbF remained within the normal adult range during the first trimester.
- After 15 weeks gestation, some pregnancies showed elevated HbF, while approximately 30% remained in the normal adult range.
- Irregular increases in maternal HbF were observed in serial studies.
Conclusions:
- Maternal serum HbF levels can increase during pregnancy after 15 weeks gestation.
- Elevated maternal HbF may be a potential indicator of transplacental hemorrhage.
- Further research is warranted to validate HbF as a marker for transplacental hemorrhage.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
01:19Rh Blood Group
The Rhesus (Rh) antigen is crucial in determining blood groups and ensuring compatibility during blood transfusions.
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:27Ovarian Cycle
The menstrual cycle includes a critical component known as the ovarian cycle, which undergoes two main phases each month—the follicular phase and the luteal phase. The follicular phase is variable and averaging around 14 days. Ovulation, triggered by a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH), marks the transition between the two phases. The second phase, the luteal phase, is relatively consistent, lasting approximately 14 days, and is marked by the activity of the corpus luteum. While a cycle length...