Umbilical glutathione levels are higher after vaginal birth than after cesarean section
-
M. T. M. Raijmakers
, E. M. Roes , E. A. P. Steegers , B. van der Wildt and W. H. M. Peters
Abstract
Glutathione plays an important role in quenching reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidation of glutathione, which in times of prolonged oxidative stress may be excreted from the erythrocyte. We investigated arterial and venous umbilical cord levels of glutathione in neonates born by vaginal delivery (n = 140) or cesarean section (n = 38). In a subset of neonates who were delivered vaginally maternal levels were assessed in parallel (n = 14). Median (5th–95th percentile) glutathione levels in venous and arterial umbilical samples were higher after vaginal delivery as compared to cesarean section, 2.7 (0.9–7.3) versus 2.0 (0.6–11.5; P < 0.03) and 3.5 (0.6–22.7) versus 2.3 (0.7–24.3) μmol/L (P < 0.02), respectively. Maternal glutathione levels were higher, 7.8 (4.3–10.6) μmol/L, than corresponding venous (P < 0.001) or arterial (P < 0.02) umbilical levels. These results suggest that vaginal delivery is associated with more oxidative stress than delivery by cesarean section.
Copyright © 2003 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
Articles in the same Issue
- Author Index
- Subject Index
- Contents
- MRI during pregnancy
- Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound in the assessment of the fetal central nervous system
- Maternal erythrocyte malondialdehyde level in preeclampsia prediction: a longitudinal study
- Effect of fetal macrosomia on human placental glucose transport and utilization in insulin-treated gestational diabetes
- Association between maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry and fetal lung maturity
- Does the thrifty phenotype result from chronic glutamate intoxication? A hypothesis
- Fetal hand movements and facial expression in normal pregnancy studied by four-dimensional sonography
- Stable microbubble test and click test to predict respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants not requiring ventilation at birth
- Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in two very low birth weight infants
- Umbilical glutathione levels are higher after vaginal birth than after cesarean section
- Gastrointestinal contrast studies in high-risk neonates with suspected necrotising enterocolitis – a note of caution
- Fatal intracranial hemorrhage in a pregnant patient with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura
- Pregnancy complicated with pure red cell aplasia: a case report
- Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII as a cause of recurrent non-immune hydrops fetalis
- Higher risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn after cesarean
- Congress Calendar
Articles in the same Issue
- Author Index
- Subject Index
- Contents
- MRI during pregnancy
- Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound in the assessment of the fetal central nervous system
- Maternal erythrocyte malondialdehyde level in preeclampsia prediction: a longitudinal study
- Effect of fetal macrosomia on human placental glucose transport and utilization in insulin-treated gestational diabetes
- Association between maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry and fetal lung maturity
- Does the thrifty phenotype result from chronic glutamate intoxication? A hypothesis
- Fetal hand movements and facial expression in normal pregnancy studied by four-dimensional sonography
- Stable microbubble test and click test to predict respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants not requiring ventilation at birth
- Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in two very low birth weight infants
- Umbilical glutathione levels are higher after vaginal birth than after cesarean section
- Gastrointestinal contrast studies in high-risk neonates with suspected necrotising enterocolitis – a note of caution
- Fatal intracranial hemorrhage in a pregnant patient with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura
- Pregnancy complicated with pure red cell aplasia: a case report
- Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII as a cause of recurrent non-immune hydrops fetalis
- Higher risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn after cesarean
- Congress Calendar