Plasma Electrolytes of the Pregnant Ewe and Fetal Lamb

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Abstract
Plasma electrolytes were determined in blood samples from 65 ewes and 85 of their lambs at about 70, 88, 106, 124 and 142 days of gestation. Sodium concentration increased in both ewe and fetus as pregnancy progressed, although the fetus always had a lower concentration. Potassium increased over 50% in the fetus and exceeded the maternal concentration after the 106th day. Calcium-magnesium combined in the fetus always exceeded maternal concentrations. As a result there was a steady increase in total determined cations in both ewe and fetus. Chloride concentration tended to parallel that of sodium in both ewe and fetus. Bicarbonate and phosphate remained relatively constant. Maternal proteins decreased and fetal proteins increased as pregnancy progressed. Lactate was high in ewe plasma at 70 days and fell steadily toward term. It remained constant at a low level in the fetus. In the ewe, the determined anions decreased with advancing pregnancy until at term there was a deficit of over 10 mEq/l. In the fetus there was always a deficit of determined anions, increasing with pregnancy and paralleling the maternal values.