[Maternal plasma beta-endorphin levels during labor in relation to maternal obesity].
The relationship between maternal plasma levels of beta-endorphin (beta-Ep) during labor and various obstetrical factors was investigated in 115 healthy pregnant women. beta-Ep was determined by radioimmunoassay using double-antibody RIA kit (INCSTAR Corporation, Stillwater, M'S.). The results were as follows: (1) The primiparous women showed a significant increase of maternal plasma levels of beta-Ep at delivery compared with the multiparous women. In addition, the group of women whose Bishop's score at the onset of labor was 5 points or less showed a significant increase of maternal plasma levels of beta-Ep at delivery compared with that in the group of women whose Bishop's score was 6 points or more. (2) The increase in maternal plasma levels of beta-Ep during the first and the second stage of labor was significantly higher in obese women (pre-pregnancy BMI > or = 24) than in normal weight women (pre-pregnancy BMI < 24). In normal weight women in pre-pregnancy, the group of women whose weight gain during pregnancy was 11kg or more showed a significantly higher increase of beta-Ep compared with that in the group of women whose weight gain was less than 11 kg. These results suggest that a stressful delivery caused a significant increase of maternal plasma levels of beta-Ep during labor. Moreover, obesity and marked weight gain during pregnancy caused a remarkable increase in beta-Ep probably due to latent dystocia.
Nakagawa
Y
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokushima University School of Medicine.
Fuke
Y
Y
Irahara
M
M
Aono
T
T
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D015430:Weight Gain; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood*
D001615:beta-Endorphin