Table 2. Maternal salt diet has little effect on feto-placental tissues in late gestation.

Tissue composition of feto-placental unit ay day 20 and term (day 21)
		± Maternal salt			P value
Males	Age	−ve	+ve	s.e.d.	Salt	Age	Salt*Age
Fetal wet weight (g)	d20	3.51	3.58	0.20	NS	<.001	NS
	term	5.49	5.67
Placental wet weight (mg)	d20	527	547	36	NS	-	-
	term	-	-
% water in fetus	d20	84.2	87.1	1.6	NS	0.02	NS
	term	81.8	82.9
% water in placenta	d20	84.4	85.4	0.62	NS	NS	NS
	term	-	-
Females
Fetal wet weight (g)	d20	3.50	3.49	0.20	NS	<.001	NS
	term	5.54	5.49
Placental wet weight (mg)	d20	493	527	36	NS	-	-
	term	-	-
% water in fetus	d20	85.0	86.6	1.6	NS	0.02	NS
	term	83.2	83.0
% water in placenta	d20	84.8	85.2	0.62	NS	NS	NS
	term	-	-

Data are estimated marginal means plus the standard error of the differences between means (s.e.d.). At day 20, data are n = 10 dams per dietary group (Control, n = 4 male/female pups; 4% salt diet n = 7 male and n = 4 female pups). At term, data are n = 8 control and n = 5 SD dams (Control, n = 8/8 male/female pups; SD diet, n = 7/5 male/female pups). Data were analysed by mixed effects models with treatment (control vs. 4% salt), sex (male vs. female) and age (day 20 vs. term) or their interaction as fixed effects and dam as a random effect (Genstat v14). Log₁₀ transformation was used before analysis, as required, to achieve normality in error distribution. NS, not significant. −ve, is control diet (CD). +ve, is 4% salt diet (SD).