[Foetal growth and placental blood flow in the guinea pig (author's transl)]

Fetal growth depends on nutrition, mainly of glucose. However, there is good evidence that not only nutritive factors, but uterine blood flow controls fetal growth as well. Therefore it was the question, if fetal growth in pregnant guinea pigs (Pirbright White) depends on placental blood flow too. Placental blood flow was determined by using the microspheres-method (Tc 99m). Is there one fetus in one uterus-horn and two fetus in the other uterus-horn the relation of blood flow is 36 to 64%. Refer to the weight of placenta and fetus it excists however a roughly similar blood flow (54 and 46%). The position of the fetus in the uterus-horn is not relevant if only two fetus are found in one uterus-horn. Does one uterus-horn contain three fetus, the placental blood flow depends on its localization in this horn. In comparison to the middle and cervical position of the placenta the blood flow is significantly higher to the placenta neighbouring the ovar. A significant correlation is found between fetal weight and placental blood flow when fetal weight in percent of the weight of the whole fetal content is plottet against placental blood flow in percent of the blood flow to all placentas (p 2 less than 0.001).