Is cord blood erythropoietin a marker of intrapartum hypoxia?
Halevi, A.; Dollberg, S.; Manor, D.; Nussinovich, R.; Kaempfer, R.; Gale, R.
Journal of Perinatology Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association 12(3): 215-219
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0743-8346 PMID: 1432275 Document Number: 397650
A sensitive assay was used to compare the biological activity of cord serum erythropoietin in two groups of infants born with or without labor-induced hypoxia. The mean cord serum erythropoietin activity in 161 infants delivered after vaginal labor was 116 +/- 36 mU/mL, and was indistinguishable from that observed in 23 infants delivered by preplanned, elective cesarean section, 114 +/- 12 mU/mL (P = .75). The bioassay measured effective erythropoietin activity, including the contribution of potentiators in serum. These results indicate that duration and intensity of labor are insufficient to cause a significant increase in effective erythropoietin activity.