Plasma Catecholamines and Microvibration as Labor Progresses

Abstract

Labor is not a simple physiological phenomenon, but a process influenced by personality, social factors, and psychosomatic environmento. In this study, to investigate the changes of the autonomic nervous activity as labor progresses, 150 samples of plasma catecholamines were estimated and 150 recordings of Microvibration pattern (MV) were analyzed in 41 patients. In addition, the changes in their autonomic nervous system as affected by postpartum hemorrhage were examined. Differences between primigravidas and multigravidas, effect of labor with or wihtout hasband's presence, and the nature of their egograms were also observed in these patients. The results were as follows. 1. As labor progresses, both plasuma noradrenaline and adrenaline significantly increased until crowning (p<0.01,p<0.05). By one hour after delivery, the levels had significantly decreased (p<0.01,p<0.05). 2. At full dilatation, the slow and alpha wave components of MV were decreased (p<0.01), and the fast wave component of MV were increased (p<0.01). By one hour after delivery, patterns of MV returned to their former states (p<0.01). 3. Postpartum hemorrhage caused plasma catecholamines to increase (p<0.05), the alpha wave component of MV to decrease (p<0.01) and the slow wave component of MV to increase (p<0.05). 4. Primigravidas had higher adrenaline values at early first stage (cervical dilatation was under 3cm) than multigravidas (p<0.05). At crowning, primigravidas had larger fast wave element of MV than multigravidas (p<0.05). 5. The plasma adrenaline levels in the group of the labor with husband was significantly lower than those without husband when the cervix dilation was 4-9cm (p<0.01) and 10cm (p<0.05). 6. Compared to A and M type egogram patients, N type patients had no significant differences about the changes of plasma catecholamines and MV.