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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo
Published on: August 2, 2017
Umbilical venous D-dimer concentrations with and without labor
A P Murtha1, K A Boggess, C E Jimmerson
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. murth002@mc.duke.edu
Objective:
To determine if labor activates the fetal fibrinolytic system.
Methods:
A total of 59 umbilical venous blood samples were collecting following vaginal delivery at term (n = 20), cesarean delivery following labor at term (n = 12), vaginal delivery before term (n = 18), and cesarean delivery without labor (n = 9). D-dimer concentrations, a sensitive marker of fibrinolysis, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and compared between groups by Kruskel-Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests, with significance defined as P < .05.
Results:
There were no significant differences in median D-dimer concentrations between newborns delivered vaginally or by cesarean after term labor or preterm labor. There were significant differences in median umbilical venous D-dimer concentrations in subjects delivered vaginally or by cesarean after term or preterm labor compared with term subjects without labor delivered by cesarean (427, 773, and 326 versus 87 ng/mL, P = .01).
Conclusion:
Elevation of umbilical plasma D-dimer concentrations in laboring patients suggests activation of fetal fibrinolysis before delivery.
