Relationships of infant birth size to maternal lipoproteins, apoproteins, fuels, hormones, some biochemical changes and body weight at 36 weeks gestation

It has been hypothesized that plasma triglyceride fatty acids may traverse the placenta and contribute to infant adiposity, particularly in gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM]. Also, high density lipoprotein [HDL] can both deliver cholesterol to and remove it from the placenta. To determine if these maternal parameters are related to the fetal growth in normal; the relationships of lipoproteins, apoproteins, hormones, fuels, some biochemical changes and maternal weight at 36 weeks gestation to infant birth weight, birth weight ratio, birth length and head circumference in a cohort of pregnant women attending a prepard health plan have been examined. The results have shown that the birth weight and/or birth weight ratio [birth weight corrected for gestational age], birth length and head circumference in such pregnant women are weekly positively associated with maternal VLDL triglycerides and statistically significantly positively associated with apoprotein A-II, placental lactogen, estradiol and maternal pre- pregnancy weight and pregnancy weigh gain. Glucose and insulin predict birth weight only in pairwise analysis. Significant negative predictors of birth weight ratio include VLDL, cholesterol, apoprotein A-II and creatinine. Significant positive predictors of birth length include apoprotein A-l, placental lactogen, and maternal weight gain. Apoprotein A-II negatively predicts birth length and only maternal pre-pregnancy weight predicts head circumference. The positive association of apoprotein A-l and the strong negative association of apoprotein A-II with birth weight and length point to a physiologically significant role for HDL in the fetal growth

Value of early natal education of relaxation techniques and alleviation of anxiety in lessening labour pain

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the early natal education of the relaxation techniques and alleviation of anxiety in lessening labor pain. The study comprised 110 primigravid women at term who presented in early labor without any complication [medical or obstetrical]. The cases were categorized into two groups [55 cases each]: Group I [study group] which subjected to Lamaze technique of psychoprophylaxis and group II [control group]. The severity of labor pain was graded using a linear analogue scale during the course of labor

HELLP syndrome in severely-eclampsia and the outcome of pregnancy

to study the relationship between the severity of pre- eclampsia in one hand and liver functions, haemolysis of the red blood cells, platelet count and volume and the outcome of pregnancy in the other hand. Subjects This work comprised 75 pregnant cases classified into 3 groups [25 cases each]. group I: normal pregnancy in the third trimester, group II mild pre-eclampsia, group III severe pre-eclampsia. Venous blood samples were obtained for assessment of Liver functions [total serum protein, serum albumin and globulins, serum transaminase, serum bilirubin, and prothrombin time] and assessment of blood cellular elements [platelet count and volume and abnormal red blood cells]. Results A highly significant change in the liver function tests, decrease in platelet count, mean birth weight and apgar scores and a highly significant increase in mean platelet volume, RBCs fragmentation and incidence of stillbirths in severe pre-eclampsia as compared with normal pregnancy. Conclusion: Any pregnant woman in the third trimester, pre-eclamptic or having symptoms and / or signs of HELLP syndrome, must undergo, Laboratory investigations to verify or exclude HELLP syndrome, which has grave maternal and perinatal consequences