Noradrenaline to adrenaline ratio in amniotic fluid as an index of fetal maturity.
Amniotic fluid lecithin to sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) and adrenaline concentration, noradrenaline concentration, and noradrenaline to adrenaline ratio (NA/A) were measured in 50 normal women late in pregnancy. Between gestation weeks 37 and 43 the maturity-linked increase in L/S ratio was accompanied by similar increases in NA/A ratio and noradrenaline but by decreases in adrenaline concentration. Although the amniotic fluid NA/A ratio reflects fetal sympathetic nervous system development rather than pulmonary development as mirrored by the L/S ratio, a high correlation existed between log NA/A and L/S, indicating that the NA/A ratio could provide a further index of fetal maturity.
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis
D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine