fetal haemoglobin

• Fetal haemoglobin is slightly different than adult haemoglobin. Fetal haemoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen than an adult's.
• The haemoglobin dissociation curve in fetal haemoglobin is towards the left of an Adult's. This is because fetal haemoglobin must be able to associate with oxygen in an environment where the oxygen tension is low enough to make adult haemoglobin release oxygen
• In the placenta, where the oxygen haemoglobin is low, fetal haemoglobin will absorb oxygen from the surrounding fluid. This reduces the oxygen tension, as a result oxygen diffuses from the mother's blood fluid into the placenta. this reduces the oxygen tension within the mother's blood which in turn makes the maternal haemoglobin release more oxygen.