MATERNAL SERUM DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULFATE AS A BIOCHEMICAL MARKER OF LABOR INDUCIBILITY

Abstract

abor induction and augmentation are designed to minimize . or avoid the impact of clinical complications occurring during pregnancy or labor which may threaten the well-being of the mother, the baby or both.

Currently, the only marker in common use is the cervical ripening quantitatively expressed by (Bishop's score) which depends on; cervical dilatation, cervical effacement, cervical consistency, cervical position and fetal head station.

Various methods were tried for cervical ripening as the search for the ideal cervical ripening agent continues.

Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate is an androgen produced by adrenal cortex of the pregnant women and her fetus and converted into estrogen in human placenta.

DHEA-Sulfate produces favorable conditions for delivery in women with unripe cervix, it softens the birth canal and triggers the onset of labor. Maternal serum DHEA-Sulfate level may be a factor that affects the outcome of labor induction. Women with higher DHEA-Sulfate level would be more likely to have successful labor induction.

So, •this study tried to evaluate the role of the level of maternal serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate as a biochemical marker of successful labor induction.

From February 2001 to September 2001, eighty patients were enrolled in the present study at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital and Ahmed Maher Teaching Hospital. The study included 2 groups: Group I more than 41 weeks and Group II between 37 and 41 weeks.

For all patients, pelvic examination was done and level of DHEA-Sulfate was measured before induction of labor. Induction of labor was carried out either by intravenous oxytocin drip or intravaginal (PGE2).