Umbilical Cord Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule Concentration Following Labor

Objective: This study was designed to determine if VCAM concentrations are increased in serum from neonates delivered vaginally compared to those delivered by cesarean in the absence of labor at term. Methods: Serum was collected from umbilical cords immediately after delivery of term uncomplicated pregnancies either prior to onset of labor by scheduled cesarean or following labor. VCAM concentration was determined by commercial ELISA. Results: Mean VCAM concentration was significantly higher in the laboring (1,106.2 ± 279 ng/ml) than the nonlaboring group (906.9 ± 217 ng/ml, P = 0.01). Conclusions: Increases in neonatal serum VCAM concentrations may represent a response to enhanced lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress during labor as well as a component of the normal fetal immune response.