Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1986 Aug;39(8):838–841. doi: 10.1136/jcp.39.8.838

Calcium homeostasis in second trimester fetuses.

C F Moniz, K H Nicolaides, C Tzannatos, C H Rodeck
PMCID: PMC500104  PMID: 3745473

Abstract

The concentrations of ionised calcium ions (Ca++), total calcium, parathyroid hormone, pH, total protein, albumin, sodium, and potassium were measured in paired fetal and maternal blood from pregnancies at 15 to 24 weeks' gestation. Pure fetal blood samples were obtained fetoscopically. The concentrations of fetal ionised calcium ions (n = 26); mean (SD) 1.33 (0.12) mmol/l (5.32 (0.48) mg/100 ml) and those of parathyroid hormone (n = 9); 68 (19) pmol/l (58 (16) micrograms/100 ml) were significantly higher than those of the mothers: 1.18 (0.09) mmol/l (4.7 (0.4) mg/100 ml), and 40 pmol/l (less than 34 micrograms/100 ml), respectively. There was no difference between measured fetal and maternal total calcium, pH, and electrolytes. The fetal total protein and albumin concentrations increased with gestation but were always lower than the equivalent maternal values. The calculated total calcium was 0.23-0.45 mmol/l (0.9-1.8 mg/100 ml) higher in the fetal than in maternal blood from the same pregnancy. There were no fetal arteriovenous differences in ionised calcium ions despite higher venous pH.

Full text

PDF
841

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bergman L., Kjellmer I., Selstam U. Calcitonin and parathyroid hormone--relation to early neonatal hypocalcemia in infants of diabetic mothers. Biol Neonate. 1974;24(1):151–160. doi: 10.1159/000240646. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Crawford J. S. Maternal and cord blood at delivery. IV. Glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride. Biol Neonat. 1965;8(4):222–237. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. David L., Anast C. S. Calcium metabolism in newborn infants. The interrelationship of parathyroid function and calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus metabolism in normal, "sick," and hypocalcemic newborns. J Clin Invest. 1974 Aug;54(2):287–296. doi: 10.1172/JCI107764. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Garel J. M., Dumont C. Distribution and inactivation of labeled parathyroid hormone in rat fetus. Horm Metab Res. 1972 May;4(3):217–221. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1094053. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Leroyer-Alizon E., David L., Anast C. S., Dubois P. M. Immunocytological evidence for parathyroid hormone in human fetal parathyroid glands. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1981 Mar;52(3):513–516. doi: 10.1210/jcem-52-3-513. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Nicolaides K., Rodeck C. H. Prenatal diagnosis. Fetoscopy. Br J Hosp Med. 1984 Jun;31(6):396–405. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Northrop G., Misenhimer H. R., Becker F. O. Failure of parathyroid hormone to cross the nonhuman primate placenta. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1977 Oct 15;129(4):449–453. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(77)90593-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Pitkin R. M. Endocrine regulation of calcium homeostasis during pregnancy. Clin Perinatol. 1983 Oct;10(3):575–592. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pitkin R. M., Reynolds W. A., Williams G. A., Kawahara W., Bauman A. F., Hargis G. K. Maternal and fetal parathyroid hormone responsiveness in pregnant primates. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1980 Nov;51(5):1044–1047. doi: 10.1210/jcem-51-5-1044. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ramberg C. F., Jr, Delivoria-Papadopoulos M., Crandall E. D., Kronfeld D. S. Kinetic analysis of calcium transport across the placenta. J Appl Physiol. 1973 Nov;35(5):682–688. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1973.35.5.682. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Reitz R. E., Daane T. A., Woods J. R., Weinstein R. L. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone interrelationships in pregnancy and newborn infants. Obstet Gynecol. 1977 Dec;50(6):701–705. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rodeck C. H., Campbell S. Sampling pure fetal blood by fetoscopy in second trimester of pregnancy. Br Med J. 1978 Sep 9;2(6139):728–730. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6139.728. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rodeck C. H., Campbell S. Umbilical-cord insertion as source of pure fetal blood for prenatal diagnosis. Lancet. 1979 Jun 9;1(8128):1244–1245. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)91928-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schauberger C. W., Pitkin R. M. Maternal-perinatal calcium relationships. Obstet Gynecol. 1979 Jan;53(1):74–76. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schedewie H. K., Odell W. D., Fisher D. A., Krutzik S. R., Dodge M., Cousins L., Fiser W. P. Parathormone and perinatal calcium homeostasis. Pediatr Res. 1979 Jan;13(1):1–6. doi: 10.1203/00006450-197901000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Smith F. G., Jr, Alexander D. P., Buckle R. M., Britton H. G., Nixon D. A. Parathyroid hormone in foetal and adult sheep: the effect of hypocalcaemia. J Endocrinol. 1972 Jun;53(3):339–348. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0530339. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tan C. M., Raman A. Maternal-fetal calcium relationships in man. Q J Exp Physiol Cogn Med Sci. 1972 Jan;57(1):56–59. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1972.sp002137. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tsang R. C., Chen I. W., Friedman M. A., Chen I. Neonatal parathyroid function: role of gestational age and postnatal age. J Pediatr. 1973 Nov;83(5):728–738. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(73)80363-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES