Fetal and maternal cardiovascular effects of atropine and glycopyrrolate

This study compared the effects of intravenous atropine and glycopyrrolate on maternal and fetal heart rates and variability, maternal blood pressure, and uterine activity in 20 normal full-term parturients in labor. Group 1 (N = 10) received 0.005 mg/kg of glycopyrrolate, and group 2 (N = 10) received 0.01 mg/kg of atropine. There were no statistically significant changes in fetal heart rates or variability in either group. Uterine activity increased in a normal manner as labor progressed. Maternal heart rate increased significantly and essentially equally in all patients in both groups ranging from 15 to 78 beats/min and a mean (+/- SD) of 36 +/- 16 in group 1 and from 15 to 65 beats/min with a mean of 35 +/- 17 in group 2. There were no statistically significant changes in maternal blood pressure in either group.