Serum nickel concentration in women during pregnancy, during parturition, and post partum.
Concentrations of nickel (Ni) were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in serum collected from 67 women divided into five groups: (1) healthy control subjects; (2) third-trimester pregnancy (32 to 36 weeks); (3) parturition; (4) post partum 1 (5 minutes); (5) post partum II (60 minutes). In the pregnant group, the serum level of Ni was lower by 60% than that in either the control or parturient group. A significant twenty-fold elevation in the concentration of nickel was observed immediately after delivery of the infant but before delivery of the placenta. Sixty minutes after parturition, the serum concentration of Ni was again similar to the control value. The possible physiologic significance of transient hypernickelemia in the advanced stage of human labor may be related to the support of placental separation and/or to the prevention of atonic bleeding.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D009532:Nickel / Q000097:blood*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
D009532:Nickel