title: Maternal and fetal oxytocin levels at parturition in a paraplegic woman.
abstract: Maternal and fetal oxytocin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in a paraplegic woman with a spinal cord lesion at T-4/T-5 who went into spontaneous labor at 39 wk of pregnancy and delivered vaginally a male infant weighing 3220 g. She showed signs of autonomic hyperreflexia during labor. Maternal plasma oxytocin was 3-12 pg/ml in 3 blood samples and undetectable in another 4 taken during the first stage, with a surge of 38 pg/ml at delivery of the fetus. Oxytocin levels were 73 pg/ml in umbilical venous plasma, and 14 pg/ml in amniotic fluid. The findings indicate that the fetus was an important source of oxytocin to the maternal uterus.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin