The amounts of serum copper, serum ceruloplasmin, hemoglobin values and the number of erythrocyte and leucocyte, were measured in women at the varous stages of normal labor, and the normal puerperal stage, and with toxemia of late pregnancy. In addition to that, the fetal navel strings of normal delivery and the normal pregnant women at the end of the 10 th month of pregnancy were also investigated as controls. Thus, the total number of cases investigated in this experiment was 255.
In the women of normal labor and puerperium, the serum copper begun to increase from the onset of labor than that of the terminal stage of pregnancy and showed the maximal values at the 2 nd stage of labor. Serum ceruloplasmin indecated no significant changes through the various stages of labor.
Both values of serum copper and serum cerulopasmin started to decrease immediately after the delivery and returned to the value of normal non-pregnant women within the 1 St month of puerperium.
In regard to the blood findings, with the onset of labor, erythrocyte counts gradually increased, but the content of hemoglobin indicated no significant change. However, after the delivery, bath values gradually decrease up to the 4 th day of puerperium, then recovered to the normal value showing gradual increase within the 1 st month of parturition. Leucocyte counts prominently increased with the onset of delivery reaching the maximum at the 3 rd stage of parturition.
Immediately after the delivery the number of leucocytes rapidly decreased, then showed a gradual decrease and returned within normal values.
In the late toxemia of pregnancy, the serum copper and serum ceruloplasmin indecated the similar changes to those in normal pregnancy and puerperium, with higer values than these two condtions. However, hemoglobin values and erthrocyte counts showed the lower values than these in normal condition. In contraly, leucocytes markedly increased showing a high value even after the 1st month of puerperium.
As to the blood of navel string, the serum copper level was found somewhat lower than that in the healthy nonpregnant women, and serum ceruloplasmin level was extremely low. Further, the hemoglobin values, erythrocyte counts and leucccyte counts increased in comparison to those of adults.
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