Endothelin-1 levels in mothers with eclampsia--pre-eclampsia and their newborns.

We examined concentrations of endothelin-1 in fetal and maternal plasma samples during hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies. There were significant differences between endothelin-1 levels of eclamptic-preeclamptic mothers' newborns and healthy preterm infants (P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between endothelin-1 levels of healthy term and preterm infants (P > 0.05).

Plasma fibronectin levels and age-corrected birth weight in hypertensive-normotensive mothers and their newborns.

Serum fibronectin levels were measured in 63 mothers including 16 healthy normotensive pregnant women, 17 eclamptic women, 16 pre-eclamptic women, and 14 chronic hypertensive patients; as well as their term newborns. There was negative correlation between age-corrected birth weight and mothers' fibronectin levels in the eclamptic and preeclamptic groups, but no significant correlation in the chronic hypertensive group and healthy pregnant women.

Puberty and mineralization of the skeleton in girls.

We studied the acquisition of bone mineral and related changes in body mass, pubertal status, and sex hormones in 75 healthy prepubertal and pubertal girls aged 7.5-16 years. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (L-1, L-2, L-3, L-4) was measured in children by quantitative computerized tomography. Skeletal mineralization accelerated markedly at puberty. Age, weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were highly correlated with bone mineral density.

Comparison of labor induction with misoprostol vs. oxytocin/prostaglandin E2 in term pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of intravaginal and oral misoprostol vs. oxytocin/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel for third trimester labor induction. METHODS: Two hundred twenty-four pregnant women were randomized to induction of labor either with misoprostol or oxytocin and PGE2 gel. Patients in the misoprostol group (n = 112) received 100 micrograms intravaginal misoprostol followed by 100 micrograms p.o. every 2 h. The oxytocin/PGE2 group consisted of 112 patients who underwent PGE2 cervical instillation 6 h before continuous oxytocin infusion. The perinatal, intrapartum and neonatal characteristics of both groups were determined. RESULTS: Induction to active phase of labor was successfully achieved in 96 women (85.7%) in the misoprostol group vs. 86 women (76.8%) in the oxytocin/PGE2 group, but the drug initiation-delivery interval was significantly shorter in the misoprostol group (9.2 +/- 2.4 h) than in the oxytocin/PGE2 group (15.2 +/- 3.2 h, P < 0.001). The incidence of adverse intrapartum outcomes was similar for both methods. Intravaginal misoprostol 100 micrograms followed by a single oral dose of 100 micrograms misoprostol safely produced labor and a vaginal delivery in 70% of patients. More than three tablets were required in only 10% of patients. There was a higher prevalence of cesarean section for failed induction in the oxytocin/PGE2 group than in the misoprostol group (13.4 vs. 6.3%, P < 0.001). The neonatal outcomes of both groups were also similar. CONCLUSION: Misoprostol is significantly more effective for labor induction than oxytocin/PGE2 gel. The maternal intrapartum and neonatal outcomes were the same for both induction regimens. From a clinical and perinatal perspective, misoprostol is an acceptable choice for labor induction.

Relation of serum free-testosterone level to grasp-reflex strength in human neonates with right-ear and left-ear facing out in-utero positions.

The relation of the grasp-reflex strength to serum free-testosterone level was studied in human neonates with right and left ear facing out in utero positions. The grasp-reflex strengths from the right and left hands were found to be inversely correlated with testosterone in neonates with right-ear-out position. In neonates with left-ear-out in utero position, the grasp-reflex strength only from the left hand inversely correlated with testosterone. Left-dominance decreased and right dominance in grasp reflex increased linearly with testosterone only in females with left-ear-out in utero position. These results supported the theory of prenatal origins of cerebral lateralization (Previc, 1991). It was concluded that testosterone may favour the maturation of both hemispheres in neonates with right-ear-out in utero position, and only the right-hemispheric development in subjects with left-ear-out in utero position; testosterone may be a male hormone influencing the cerebral lateralization on the ground of genetically and even environmentally predetermined cerebral organization.

Grasp-reflex strength from right and left hands in relation to serum cortisol level and fetal position in human neonates.

The grasp-reflex strengths from right (R) and left (L) hands were studied in human neonates in relation to serum cortisol levels and fetal position. In males with right-ear out, there was no correlation between grasp-reflex strength from right hand and cortisol. The grasp-reflex strength from left hand significantly decreased as cortisol increased linearly in these subjects. In males with left-ear out, the grasp-reflex strengths from right and left hands were found to be negatively linearly correlated with serum cortisol level. In females with right-ear out, the grasp-reflex strength from right hand was not significantly correlated with cortisol, but grasp reflex from left hand linearly decreased as cortisol increased. In females with left-ear out, only the grasp reflex from right hand linearly increased with cortisol. Only in males with right-ear out, the R-L grasp-reflex strength linearly increased from left dominance toward right dominance. It was concluded that the stress hormone cortisol may be disadvantageous and/or advantageous for the prenatal development of the right and left brain according to fetal position; cortisol may also affect the emergence of cerebral lateralization.

Sex-dependent relations of grasp-reflex strengths from right and left hands to serum gonadotropin (FSH and LH) levels in human neonates with regard to cerebral lateralization.

The relation of grasp-reflex strength to serum FSH and LH levels were studied in human neonates. The grasp-reflex strengths from the right and left hands were found to be negatively linearly correlated with serum FSH level in males without familial sinistrality (-FS), but there was no significant correlations between these parameters in females. Serum LH levels were not correlated with grasp reflex in -FS neonates. The grasp-reflex strength from the right hand showed a significant negative linear correlation with LH only in +FS males. The right minus left (R-L) grasp-reflex strength decreased linearly with serum LH levels only in +FS males. These results did not support the testosterone hypothesis of cerebral lateralization. It was suggested that FSH and LH may indirectly influence the brain development according to sex and genetically pre-determined cerebral organization.

Grasp reflex strength from right and left hands is associated with pH stressor from the umbilical arterial blood in human newborns: handedness and sex-related differences.

Grasp reflex and its asymmetry was studied in relation to pH of the umbilical blood in human newborns, to examine whether the degree of acidity in fetal blood (birth stress) is associated with cerebral laterality. Low pH values were considered as an index for birth stress. Grasp-reflex strength was found to be directly related to pH in total sample. There were sex-related differences. Namely, this correlation was true only for female newborns, not for males. Right minus left grasp-reflex strength linearly increased with pH, i.e., low pH values were associated with left-hand dominance, but only in males. The grasp-reflex asymmetry was not related to pH in females. It was concluded that blood pH may be associated with motor asymmetry and motor development in human newborns, but show sex-related differences; female brain seemed to be more sensitive to pH changes than male brain. The results partly supported the Bakan's hypothesis that birth stress may be associated with left-handedness.