Objectives: To explore the correlation between maternal and cord blood prolactin, the correlation between cord prolactin and birth weight, and to compare cord blood prolactin in new-borns of women with normal pregnancy and women with pregnancy complications namely; gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and preterm labour.Methods: This study was performed from September to December 2018. Thirty-two women, delivered at Baghdad teaching hospital, and their newborns (32) were included. Maternal blood (5 ml) was taken before labour and cord blood (5 ml) was collected after placenta expulsion. Maternal and cord blood prolactin were analysed using fluorescence immunoassay. Results: Cord blood prolactin was higher in babies born to hypertensive women (405.28±77.52 ng/ml) than normal pregnancy women (244.80±60.80 ng/ml), P=0.000. Also, cord prolactin in gestational hypertension group was significantly higher than diabetic (P=0.006) and preterm labour (P=0.000) groups. No significant difference was noticed in cord blood prolactin in newborns of diabetic and normal pregnancy women (299.28±37.01, 244.80±60.80 ng/ml respectively, P=0.053). Preterm babies had lower cord prolactin (204.57±22.90 ng/ml) than normal pregnancy babies (244.80±60.80 ng/ml), however the difference was non-significant, P=0.118. Positive correlation was found between cord and maternal prolactin (P=0.000) and between cord prolactin and birth weight (P=0.018). Conclusion: Cord blood prolactin is high in newborns of hypertensive women, low in preterm neonates. Diabetes has no effect on cord prolactin level. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.558 How to cite this:Alawad ZM, Al-Omary HL. Maternal and cord blood prolactin level and pregnancy complications. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(4):1122-1127. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.558 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This study investigates the potential of biogas recovery from used engine oil (UEO) by co-digestion with animals’ manure, including cow dung (CD), poultry manure (PM), and cattle manure (CM). The experimental work was carried out in anaerobic biodigesters at mesophilic conditions (37°C). Two groups of biodigesters were prepared. Each group consisted of 4 digesters. UEO was the main component in the first group of biodigesters with and without inoculum, whereby a mix of UEO and petroleum refinery oily sludge (ROS) was the component in the second group of biodigesters. The results revealed that for UEO-based biodigesters, maximum biogas production was 0.98, 1.23, 1.93, and 0 ml/g VS from UEO±CD, UEO±CM, UEO±PM, and U
... Show MoreThe past decades of the last century and until now have witnessed many crises in the housing sector, and these crises were the result of many problems that led to a weak quality and quantity of housing stock, especially for lowincome people, and Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals states, "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, and capable of enduring and being sustainable, we have prepared this research that attempts to answer the following question: Is the current empowerment in the housing sector real and efficient support for people with limited income? The research assumes that empowerment in the housing sector has an important and effective role in reducing housing problems, the research aims to reach the most imp
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... Show MoreThis paper deals with one of the most important issues in a foreign language teaching and learning, i.e. speaking test assessment. After giving a survey of literature written on the meaning and definition of a speaking test assessment, two sections have been devoted to tackle the most important issues in this topic. Section one, which is the theoretical part of this paper, sheds light on the basic definitions of the term ‘speaking assessment’ which are, according to the researcher’s point of view, sufficient to cover the area of the study. This section based on applied linguistic theories and researches in order to enhance our understanding of the what is meant by «a speaking test assessment«In addition,it explains the most importan
... Show MoreA twisted-fin array as an innovative structure for intensifying the charging response of a phase-change material (PCM) within a shell-and-tube storage system is introduced in this work. A three-dimensional model describing the thermal management with charging phase change process in PCM was developed and numerically analyzed by the enthalpy-porosity method using commercial CFD software. Efficacy of the proposed structure of fins for performing better heat communication between the active heating surface and the adjacent layers of PCM was verified via comparing with conventional longitudinal fins within the same design limitations of fin material and volume usage. Optimization of the fin geometric parameters including the pitch, numb
... Show MoreObjectives: Small field of view gamma detection and imaging technologies for monitoring in vivo tracer uptake are rapidly expanding and being introduced for bed-side imaging and image guided surgical procedures. The Hybrid Gamma Camera (HGC) has been developed to enhance the localization of targeted radiopharmaceuticals during surgical procedures; for example in sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies and for bed-side imaging in procedures such as lacrimal drainage imaging and thyroid scanning. In this study, a prototype anthropomorphic head and neck phantom has been designed, constructed, and evaluated using representative modelled medical scenarios to study the capability of the HGC to detect SLNs and image small organs. Methods: An anthropom
... Show MoreThis study aims to test whether the institutions listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange have a significant correlation between the level of conservative accounting practice with the level of market share returns during the Coronavirus pandemic period as one of the policies to confront the economic repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the sample included institutions listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange during the 2019 and 2020 years, i.e., the period before the Coronavirus pandemic and during the Coronavirus pandemic for the purpose of comparison. The market value to book value model was used, and the study found that conservative institutions had achieved the highest level of market share prices compared to non-conservat
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