FETAL ADRENAL WEIGHT AND THE CAUSE OF PREMATURE DELIVERY IN HUMAN PREGNANCY

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Abstract
Summary: In a group of 79 infants delivered before the end of the 36th week of pregnancy, and who either were stillborn or died within 12 hours, the weights of the adrenal glands in relation to fetal weight and gestational age were determined. Three groups were identified according to the clinical cause of the premature labour, namely those due to no known cause, those due to antepartum haemorrhage and those due to pre‐eclampsia.The weight of the fetal adrenals in cases without apparent cause for premature labour was increased compared to the weight in cases of similar fetal weight or gestational age in the other two groups. The adrenal weight in cases of pre‐eclampsia was less than that in the cases of antepartum haemorrhage. The weight of the kidneys was similar in the three groups and there was no relationship between adrenal weight and thymic weight. In 15 spontaneous and 40 therapeutic abortions the difference between the weight of the fetal adrenals in the two groups was not significant.The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the role of the fetal adrenal in the initiation of premature labour.

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