SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

Summary

This paper presents the results obtained from the study of Oestriol and pregnanediol in maternal peripheral venous plasma throughout normal pregnancy. Changes of oestriol pregnanediol and II-hydroxysteroid levels throughout the day in late pregnancy were studied. The levels of these steroids found in maternal peripheral venous blood and umbilical venous blood in patients delivered normally and by elective Caesarean section have been compared.

The range of values of for plasma pregnanediol was to so large that furhter study had little to recommend it. In a relative sense there was good agreement between plasma oestriol and urinary 24-hour oestriol excretion. There was no difference in fetal plasma levels of oestriol, pregnanediol or II-hydroxysteroids when babies delivered vaginally were compared with those delivered by elective Caesarean section. The difference in maternal II-hydroxysteroids in these two sitations approached significance.