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II. After Short Gestation and Gestation Complicated by Hypertension with Special Reference to the “Small‐for‐Dates” Syndrome
Author(s) -
Lindblad Bo S.,
Zetterström Rolf
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1968.tb04678.x
Subject(s) - medicine , fetus , gestation , pregnancy , valine , endocrinology , gestational age , vein , cord , cord blood , birth weight , obstetrics , amino acid , surgery , biochemistry , biology , genetics
Summary In cases of hypertensive disorder there is an increase of urea in the cord vein plasma. The increase seems to be secondary to an occasional increase in the maternal plasma. In cases of hypertensive disorder during pregnancy associated with intrauterine growth retardation of the foetus the ratio between the cord vein plasma levels and the mother's cubital vein plasma levels of essential amino acids is lower than under normal conditions. The low ratios of valine, isoleucine and leucine levels are shown to be due to higher maternal plasma levels at delivery than in normal pregnancies. It is suggested that the findings have some bearing on the growth retardation of the foetus, being the consequence of a diminished supply of essential amino acids to the foetus. The differences from what is found in normal term pregnancies are not due to a shortening of the gestational period, since there is in the foetus, in a gestational period down to 33 weeks, only still higher plasma levels of taurine and lysine. To demonstrate that the material is representative as regards hypertension and the “small‐for‐dates” syndrome a survey has been made of the weight and length at birth in cases of hypertensive disorder during pregnancy.