Abstract

Objectives: To investigate how water balance is regulated during labor and 27 h postpartum.Design and methods: A prospective open trial with 49 women giving birth vaginally. Ringer-acetate was infused intravenously and combined with epidural analgesia in seven women (fluid group). Intravenous infusions of oxytocin in 5% glucose were given to 12 women (oxytocin group). Thirty women delivered their babies without infusion (nofluid group). Blood and urine samples were collected at arrival, at early stage 1, at early stage 2, and at aftercare, and 9, 15, and 27 h postpartum. Plasma osmolality, sodium, cystatin C, vasopressin, oxytocin, urine flow, urine osmolality, and urine sodium were measued.Results: The oxytocin group had significantly lower plasma osmolality than the nofluid group before parturition, and they had lower plasma sodium concentration at early stage 1 and 2. Plasma vasopressin concentration was low and did not differ between groups or before and after parturition. Water diuresis developed postpartum in all groups. The cystatin C concentration decreased significantly after parturition in the oxytocin and nofluid groups.Conclusions: The vasopressin levels were suppressed during parturition irrespective of the P-osmolality and the nongravid regulation of water balance had not returned within 27 h postpartum. (C) 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Osmolality; Oxytocin; Parturition; Puerperium; Vasopressin

Published in

Clinical Biochemistry
2015, Volume: 48, number: 13-14, pages: 837-842
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

SLU Authors

• Sjöquist, Mats

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Olsson, Ulf

  • Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.06.012

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/72255