The effects of maternally administered digoxin upon the cardiovascular hemodynamics of the fetal lamb

PLACENTAL TRANSFER AND FETAL UPTAKE OF 3H‐DIGOXIN IN HUMANS

“…This result confirms the previous findings that digoxin is able to traverse the human placenta (Rogers et al, 1972;Mirkin, 1973). In the sheep fetus, no equilibration of 3H-digoxin between maternal and fetal blood had been achieved during the first 60 minutes after a single injection of the drug into the maternal vein, but in prolonged treatment the concentration of 3H-digoxin was the same in the maternal and fetal blood (Hernandez et al, 1973 and. The level of tritiated digoxin in the fetal umbilical venous and arterial blood was about the same as in the maternal blood as early as 30 minutes after the injection of the drug.…”

“…ALTHOUGH the number of pregnant women using digitalis glycosides has increased since the advent of open heart surgery and the availability of prosthetic valves, reports on the transplacental passage of digitalis glycosides in man and experimental animals are few (Okita et al, 1952 and1956;Sherman and Locke, 1960;Rogers et al, 1972;Fouron, 1973;Mirkin, 1973;Hernandez et al, 1973 and. From these it is obvious that the placenta does not function as a barrier protecting the fetus against digitalis.…”