Transplacental passage of diazepam following intravenous injection immediately prior to operative vaginal delivery.

The early phase of diaplacental transfer of diazepam was studied in 39 women given the drug as a basic anaesthetic for operative vaginal delivery indicated by prolonged second stage of labour (9 cases), breech delivery (19 cases) and intrauterine hypoxia (11 cases). A total dose of 30 mg diazepam (Valium Roche) was injected intravenously over a period of 15 sec umbilical cord blood was collected immediately after delivery. Diazepam was extracted with diethyl ether and determined by gas chromatography. The concentration of diazepam in cord blood increased from greater than 5-250 ng/ml at 57-60 seconds to 48-1861 ng/ml at 90-100 seconds after completion of the intravenous injection. Thereafter a plateau seemed to be reached but the interindividual variation was still great with values ranging from 45-3034 ng/ml up to 360 seconds. Judged by Apgar score and the clinical course the neonates seemed to be unaffected by the medication administered to the mother.