[Determination catecholamines levels in amniotic fluid, maternal and umbilical blood]

Catecholamines (CA) levels of amniotic fluid, maternal and umbilical blood were determined by HPLC. The results showed that epinaphrine (E) and dopamine (DA) levels of pregnancy were significantly different as compared with non-pregnant women (P > 0.05), where as norepinephrine (NE) levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In vaginal delivery, CA levels of pregnant women were significantly higher than those of non and late-pregnant women (P < 0.01). Plasma CA levels of umbilical artery were higher than those of umbilical vein (P < 0.001); NE of CA was 3.3 times, E 4.7 times and DA 2.1 times. NE and E levels of umbilical artery in cesarean section were significantly lower than those of in vaginal delivery. In fetal distress, plasma NE and E levels of umbilical artery were higher significantly than those of the normal fetus. CA levels of amniotic fluid increased with advance of gestational weeks, significantly in fetal distress, even more than the upper limit of 95%. The incidence of newborn asphyxia was about 60.0%.