[Concentrations of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in fetal umbilical cord blood for term labor].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in fetal umbilical cord blood on term labor.


METHODS
Cortisol and DHEA-S concentrations were measured By radioimmunoassay in 100 term fetal umbilical cord blood. They were divided into four groups. Group A selective cesarean section without any birth pain (n = 18), Group B cesarean section in latent phase (n = 10), Group C cesarean section in active phase (n = 12), Group D spontaneous vaginal deliver (n = 60).


RESULTS
The concentrations of fetal umbilical cord cortisol in spontaneous vaginal deliver group was gradually increased with gestational week. The peak level was in the 39th gestation week, by the 42nd gestation week, the concentration of cortisol declined to the 37th gestation week. DHEA-S changed paralleled with cortisol (r = 0.46, P < 0.05). Active birth pain was associated with increased fetal umbilical cortisol concentration, but not with DHEA-S. The concentrations of fetal umbilical cord cortisol in vaginal deliver group was higher than all the cesarean section groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Concentrations of cortisol and DHEA-S played an important role in the initiation and acceleration of labor.
Pan
Ling-yun
LY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 94th Hospital in People's Liberation Army, Nanchang 330002, China.
Xiao
Qun
Q
Yuan
Qiao-ling
QL
D002585:Cesarean Section; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014590:Uterine Contraction
D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D006854:Hydrocortisone