Fetal Sympathoadrenal Response to Maternal Hypertension

Abstract

Amniotic fluid noradrenaline concentration has been shown to reflect both the development and the activity of the fetal sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This study assessed whether maternal hypertension causes a stress related rise in fetal SNS activity. Amniotic fluid noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations were determined in 10 women with pregnancy induced hypertension (diastolic blood pressure > 15 mmHg above 1st trimester values) and 9 gestation matched normotensive women. All 19 patients were undergoing amniocentesis to establish fetal lung maturity and all babies were small for gestational age. In the aypertensive and normotensive group respectively noradrenaline concentration was 2.8 ± 0.8 and 2.6 ± 1.1 nmol/1 and adrenaline concentration 1.1 ± 0.6 and 1.1 ± 0.5 nmol/1. Maternal hypertension per se does not increase amniotic fluid catecholamine concentration