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Maternal Caffeine Administration and Cerebral Oxygenation in Near-Term Fetal Sheep

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Abstract

The authors test the null hypothesis that maternal caffeine administration will not significantly alter fetal cerebral oxygenation. The authors measured fetal arterial blood gases, cortical tissue O2 tension (tPO2), sagittal sinus blood gases, and laser Doppler cerebral blood flow in response to a 30-minute caffeine infusion (400 mg intravenously) into 7 near-term pregnant ewes, and they calculated fractional O2 extraction and relative cerebral metabolic rate for O2 (CMRO2). Following maternal caffeine infusion, both fetal cortical tPO2 and sagittal sinus (HbO2) decreased significantly, from 10.7 ± 0.9 to 6.8 ± 1.1 Torr and from 46% ± 2% to 37% ± 6%, respectively. This was associated with significant 20% to 30% increases in fractional O2 extraction and CMRO2. Fetal arterial blood gas values did not change significantly. In conclusion, maternal caffeine administration significantly decreases cerebral oxygenation without affecting systemic oxygenation in fetal sheep. The authors speculate that for a fetus that may be otherwise compromised, this increase in CMRO2 with decreased cortical tPO2 could present a problem.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Perinatal Biology, Departments of Physiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, 92350, USA

    Takuji Tomimatsu MD, Stephen J. Lee MD, Jorge Pereyra Peña MD, Jonathon M. Ross, Jordan A. Lang & Lawrence D. Longo MD

Authors
  1. Takuji Tomimatsu MD
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  2. Stephen J. Lee MD
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  3. Jorge Pereyra Peña MD
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  4. Jonathon M. Ross
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  5. Jordan A. Lang
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  6. Lawrence D. Longo MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lawrence D. Longo MD.

Additional information

Supported by US Public Health Service grants HD/HL-03807 and HD-31226 to LDL.We thank Larkin Rieke, Douglas Hatran, and Shannon Bragg for technical assistance and Brenda Kreutzer for preparing the manuscript

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Tomimatsu, T., Lee, S.J., Pereyra Peña, J. et al. Maternal Caffeine Administration and Cerebral Oxygenation in Near-Term Fetal Sheep. Reprod. Sci. 14, 588–594 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719107307717

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