[Therapy of the malnourished fetus. Organ distribution of intraamniotic alpha-amino-isobutyric acid].

After intraamniotic injection alpha-amino-isobutteracid is resorbed rapidly by the fetus. High concentrations can be found in liver, lungs, placenta and serum. Main organs of resorption are the intestine but also placenta and lungs. Resorption and distribution of substances occur more rapidly in younger fetus than in later stages of pregnancy. In spite of different haemodynamic and function of some fetal organs there are a lot parallels in the fetal preterm and newborn infant physiology. Because of the capacity of the fetal intestinal mucosa to resorb high molecular substances without hydrolysis, there appears a possibility of a compensatory paraplacental nutrition in certain cases. This is especially important as this way of nutrition is of significance physiologically in certain early stages of pregnancy.