Participants were 120 primaparous women who had vaginal delivery of a non-handicapped child. Saliva was collected twice daily through parturition to day 35 post-partum. In the prepartum, a highly significant circadian rhythm was seen in cortisol, with a lower-amplitude rhythm in progesterone (AM/PM = 1.12). Evening samples showed a rise in cortisol, with a highly significant rise on day -1. The rise was small. The fall in progesterone in the 3 days before parturition was also small (approximately 6%). Neither change provides an obvious trigger for parturition.

Keywords:
Pregnancy, Parturition, Puerperium, Saliva, Steroid, Progesterone, Cortisol
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© 1993 S. Karger AG, Basel
1993
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