Premium
Effect of labor on postpartum clearance of cell‐free fetal DNA from the maternal circulation
Author(s) -
Hui L.,
Vaughan J. I.,
Nelson M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
prenatal diagnosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.956
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1097-0223
pISSN - 0197-3851
DOI - 10.1002/pd.1975
Subject(s) - medicine , obstetrics , fetus , caesarean section , cell free fetal dna , pregnancy , postpartum period , gynecology , biology , prenatal diagnosis , genetics
Objective The aim of this study was to compare the effect of mode of delivery on the postpartum clearance of cell‐free fetal (cff) DNA. Methods Women who gave birth to a single‐term male infant by any mode of delivery had blood collected on three occasions: within 3 h of birth, on day 1–2 postpartum and at 2 weeks postpartum. The SRY sequence was used as a marker of cff DNA, and was detected using conventional PCR. Results Eighty‐seven women were included in the study. There were 28 women in the elective caesarean section group and 59 in the labor group. Cell‐free fetal DNA was detected in 38/87 (44%) of women within 3 h of birth. There was a significant difference between the group that labored and the group that did not (54 vs 21%, p = 0.003). Twelve percent of women who labored had persistent cff DNA on day 1–2 postpartum, compared with none of the women who delivered without labor. No woman had DNA that persisted up to 2 weeks postpartum. Conclusion The presence of labor increases the rate of detectable DNA in women within 3 h of birth and on day 1–2 postpartum. Postpartum clearance was completed by 2 weeks in all women tested regardless of mode of delivery. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.