[An experimental animal model for inducing fetal distress during pregnancy]

In order to try to understand and treat efficiently pathology in the human pregnant woman the authors have carried out experimental work on animals. Twenty four pregnant ewes with a single fetus were operated on in the last trimester of pregnancy. Fetal distress was provoked by injecting microspheres into the aorta beneath the renal arteries via the femoral route. The first results in terms of survival, by chemical and Doppler measurements were very encouraging. The operation itself was not a significantly disturbing factor, but the injection of microspheres did cause fetal distress. This experiment should be continued.