SummaryThe factors associated with increased renal excretion of vasopressin (VP) were examined in the hypoxic fetus and newborn. Studies were conducted on six chronically instrumented fetal (117-136 days gestation) and seven newborn lambs (2-6-dayold). Hypoxia was produced by administration of 10% oxygen to the ewe or neonate for 30 min. This procedure caused a 50% reduction in PaO2, no significant change in pHa in either fetus or neonate and a slight fall in PaCO2. Hypoxia caused an increase in VP concentrations in plasma from 1.3 ± 0.53 to 46.4 ± 4.71 pg/ml in the fetus and from 5.9 ± 2.80 to 50.2 ± 26.68 pg/ml in the neonate. After hypoxia there was a fall in urine output from 0.27 ± 0.045 to 0.17 ± 0.046 ml/(min·kg) in the fetus and from 0.15 ± 0.033 to 0.09 ± 0.022 ml/(min·kg) in the newborn. The corresponding values for urine osmolality were the following: 168 ± 30.8 to 325 ± 30.6 mOsm/kg in the fetus and 388 ± 65.4 to 523 ±51.8 mOsm/kg in the newborn. VP concentration in urine increased from 13 ± 9.4 to a maximum of 176 ± 32.4 pg/ml after 30 min of recovery in the fetus and 39 ± 4.6 to 278 ± 132.5 pg/ml after 1 h of recovery in the newborn. These levels remained high for at least 1 h after the end of hypoxia. There was a good linear correlation between plasma VP levels and the corresponding urine levels and excretion rates in both the fetus and newborn. No correlation was found between VP urinary excretion and either osmolar excretion or GFR. These results, therefore, indicate that urinary VP levels and excretion rates can be used as a reflection of levels in plasma after hypoxia.