Ionic calcium levels during pregnancy, at delivery and in the first hours of life

Abstract

Free calcium ion concentration (mmol/l) and pH were determined in whole blood using a semiautomatic electrode system (ICA-1 Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark) in 37 normal women, 90 pregnant women (30 from each trimester of gestation), 28 mothers at delivery and their respective newborns. The blood samples from normal controls, pregnant women, umbilical cord and 40-50-hour-old infants were collected anaerobically in vacuum tubes. Duplicate samples drawn from newborns shortly after birth by heel puncture were collected in special heparinized capillary tubes. We observed that Ca2+ concentrations in the second (1.20 +/- 0.04) and third (1.20 +/- 0.05) trimesters of pregnancy, and at delivery (1.18 +/- 0.05), were lower than in the control group (1.23 +/- 0.04). The [Ca2+] in samples from the umbilical vein (1.44 +/- 0.11) and artery (1.45 +/- 0.08) and from newborns 2-5 min after birth (1.34 +/- 0.12) was greater than in control samples. The [Ca2+] in newborns 40-50 hours after birth was lower (1.16 +/- 0.14) than in the control group.

Evaluation of a Peptide Family Encoded by the Calcitonin Gene in Selected Healthy Pregnant Women

“…Our results confirm data obtained in a previous longitudinal study performed with minor spe cific methods that reported no significant variations of calcitonin levels throughout pregnancy [12]. Moreover, ionized calcium levels, the main physiological stimulus for calcitonin secretion [1,2], remained unchanged in our as well as in other studies, or slightly decreased dur ing pregnancy [23][24][25] ruling out a stimulatory effect on C cell secretion. Our data are also supported by the results of a histomorphometric study [26] that has shown a rise in the extent of bone resorption cavities in women during early pregnancy; this speaks against a sharp rise of calcitonin in this period since the major recognized action of the hormone is the inhibition of bone resorp tion [1], The slight increase in ionized calcium we ob served in the first months of pregnancy may be due to such a major release of calcium from bone tissue; this may stimulate C cell secretion resulting in the slight but not significant increase in calcitonin and katacalcin val ues.…”

Hepatorenal tyrosinemia

“…34) described an incidence of one in 50,000 births in Scandinavia in 1986. In Quebec, the acute form of HRT is usually diagnosed in the first few months of life and if untreated these patients die from liver failure within their first year of life.…”

“…In an overview of HRT by Kvittingen in 1986, 34) the case of a patient with HRT is described who was treated in 1978 with a liver transplant performed by Fisch et al . The patient died three months later but the biochemical derangements apparently improved.…”

Identification of Novel Mutations in FAH Gene and Prenatal Diagnosis of Tyrosinemia in Indian Family

“…Hereditary tyrosinemia type-1 (HT1; 1 McKusick number 276700) is an autosomal recessive aminoacidopathy disorder affecting approximately one in 100,000 to 120,000 live births [1] with higher prevalence in the French, Canadian [2], and Scandinavian population [3]. Tyrosinemia type I results from the deficiency of the enzyme fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) (EC 3.7.1.2) which is encoded by FAH gene.…”