Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Influence of gestational age at delivery on umbilical cord estrogen concentrations. A, concentrations of estrogens (mean ± SD) in the entire cohort (singletons and twins) are shown in six gestational age categories. B, scatter plot comparing cord estetrol (E4) levels in singletons and twins from 26 to 42 weeks of gestation. The difference between twins and singletons remained significant after controlling for gestational age. Similar relationships existed in the other three estrogens.
- Figure 2.
Comparison of umbilical cord blood estrogen concentrations (mean ± SD) in male and female infants. There were no significant differences.
- Figure 3.
Comparison of umbilical cord blood estrogen concentrations (mean ± SD) in singletons delivered following spontaneous onset of labor versus elective Caesarean section before the onset of labor (A) or with or without preeclampsia (B). *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.005; ***, P < 0.0001 by the Mann–Whitney U test.
- Figure 4.
Comparison of umbilical cord blood estrogen concentrations (mean ± SD) in singletons versus twins (A) and in male versus female twins (B). ***, P < 0.0001 by the Mann–Whitney test. The significant difference was maintained after controlling for gestational age at delivery.
Tables
- Table 1.
Demographic and obstetric characteristics of the study cohort
Singletons (n = 805) Twins (n = 54) P Maternal age, ya 28.3 ± 5.9 29.3 ± 5.5 NSf Caucasian ethnicity, % 82.0 87.0 NS Smokerb, % 25.1 33.3 NS Gestational age at delivery, wksa 39.0 ± 2.6 35.0 ± 3.0 <0.0001 Birth weight, females, kga 3.32 ± 0.59 2.09 ± 0.58 <0.0001 Birth weight, males, kg 3.31 ± 0.60 2.43 ± 0.65 <0.0001 Placental weight, g 587 ± 124 862 ± 228 <0.0001 Caesarean sectionc, % 10.9 42.6 <0.0001 Delivery following labord, % 89.4 56.6 NS Labor duration, ha,e 6.86 ± 4.3 5.38 ± 2.9 NS Prelabor rupture of membranes, % 19.1 22.6 NS Induction of labor, % 26.4 43.4 0.01 APH, % 8.5 3.8 NS Antenatal steroids administered, % 2.75 20.8 <0.0001 Preterm birth, % 7.2 67.9 <0.0001 IUGR, % 3.0 24.1 <0.0001 Abbreviation: NS, not significant.
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↵aMean ± SD.
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↵bSmoking defined as one or more cigarettes per day.
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↵cIncludes both elective and in-labor sections.
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↵dAll deliveries excluding elective Caesarean-section deliveries.
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↵eStage I and II of labor combined.
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↵fP > 0.05 by the Mann–Whitney U test for group median comparisons or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.
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Supplementary Data
Files in this Data Supplement:
- Supplementary Figure Legend - PDF file - 61KB
- Supplementary Figure 1 - PDF file - 652KB, Linear (Pearson) correlation analysis of umbilical cord concentrations of all four estrogens in singleton and twin pregnancies (n=860).
Volume 23, Issue 6
