Oxidative stress as determined by glutathione (GSH) concentrations in venous cord blood in elective cesarean delivery versus uncomplicated vaginal delivery.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether neonates are subject to oxidative stress by the labor process and the mode of delivery by measuring glutathione (GSH) concentrations in umbilical cord venous blood.


METHODS
Forty-eight women with singleton term pregnancies were prospectively recruited and classified as follows: 26 women had a spontaneous uncomplicated vaginal delivery (VD), and 22 women had an elective cesarean delivery (CD). GSH concentration in umbilical venous blood samples was determined by a spectroscopic method.


RESULTS
Umbilical cord venous blood GSH levels were significantly lower in the elective CD group than in the VD group (2.2 and 2.7 mM, respectively, P = 0.0003). There was a significantly negative correlation between cord blood pO(2) and GSH levels; however, the negative correlation was significantly higher in the elective CD group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Neonates delivered by CD were exposed to a higher oxidative stress as determined by GSH levels compared to those who had an uncomplicated VD.
Paamoni-Keren
Orit
O
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Silberstein
Tali
T
Burg
Ariela
A
Raz
Iris
I
Mazor
Moshe
M
Saphier
Oshra
O
Weintraub
Adi Yekuda
AY
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014680:Veins
D005978:Glutathione