Fetal, maternal, and intrapartum factors and their effects on cord serum cholesterol and triglyceride
Boulton, T.J.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine 9(1): 57-62
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-8291 PMID: 287444 Document Number: 153261
The effects of adverse maternal, fetal and intrapartum factors on cord serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were studied retrospectively on a sample of 428 neonates comprising 4 subgroups: 54 with isolated cord serum hypercholesterolaemia (HC); 8 with cord serum HC and hypertriglyceridaemia (HTg); 70 with isolated cord HTg; and 296 with normal cord serum TC and TG levels. Low birth weight babies (< 2500 g) had higher levels of cord TG (P < 0.001) and TC (P < 0.1) than normal weight babies, as did pre-term (less than 37 wk gestation) babies, P < 0.05 for TG, P < 0.001 for TC, and postmature (over 41 wk gestation) babies, P < 0.01 for TG. The regression coefficient between gestational age and TC was -0.20 (P < 0.001), and for TG -0.13 (P < 0.02). Babies with low 1- and 5 min Apgar scores had higher means for TG (P < 0.001) with the coefficients of regression being 0.34 and 0.30, but no differences were present for TC. Those who had had signs of intrapartum distress, such as tachycardia and bradycardia, also had higher means for TG (P < 0.01), but their TC was lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). Only those born by an emergency cesarean section had a higher mean for TC than the control group, and no significant differences were present for TG between any method of induction of labor or delivery. The age of the mother was not associated with differences in mean values for TC or TG but babies of mothers who had preeclampsia, essential hypertension, an antepartum hemorrhage or prolonged rupture of the membranes had a higher mean TC compared to babies of unaffected mothers.