Oxygen tension in maternal and fetal blood, amniotic fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid of the mother and the baby

1.1. The polarographic method with the oxygen microelectrode has been used for measuring oxygen tension in the simultaneous samples of the maternal arterial blood, intervillous space, and fetal blood, amniotic fluid, lumbar fluid of the mother, and cerebrospinal fluid of the baby.2.2. Oxygen tension in these fluid media was serially determined in 31 normal pregnant patients breathing air (21 per cent O2) and prophylactic oxygen (100 per cent O2) for 5 minutes.3.3. An increase of oxygen tension after 100 per cent O2 was breathed for 5 minutes was found in all fluid media.4.4. The oxygen microelectrode is a useful tool and opens up a new area of laboratory and clinical investigation in obstetrics.