Foetal Cord Serum Prolactin: Levels and Association in Complications of pregnancy and Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)

Abstract

The study was carried on 85 newborns to establish a relationship between umbilical cord serum prolactin levels and gestational age, neonatal lung function and maternal complication. Serum cord prolactin level increased from 166.33ng/ml to 379.36ng/ml from 24 to 42 weeks of gestation. A significant association was demonstrated between cord serum prolactin level and birth weight (P< 0.001). Newborns that developed RDS had a significant low level of serum prolactin (207.09 ng/ml) as compared to that of non-RDS newborns. The newborns with Apgar score of 7 or less had significantly lower serum prolactin levels than those with Apgar score more than 7 (235.36 ng/ml Vs. 357.05 ng/ml). There was a significant difference between prolactin levels of newborns in normal and abnormal pregnancy (414.61 ng/ml Vs. 312.44ng/ml). Newborns of mothers with PIH had lower prolactin levels as compared to normal (322.67 ng/ml Vs. 414.67 ng/ml). The risk of RDS is less in newborn with high prolactin level than in newborns with low prolactin levels. So prolactin might have a role in fetal lung maturation.