Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in late pregnancy and puerperium.

Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were determined ante- and post-partum in 7 healthy primiparous women. ANP was measured at weekly intervals from the 35th week of pregnancy onwards and throughout the puerperium up to the sixth week post-partum. In all seven patients the mean of the ANP values during the first four days post-partum was higher than in late pregnancy. The mean ANP level from the 6th day up to the 42nd day showed a marked decrease compared with the first four days after birth, which, however, did not differ significantly from the mean plasma concentration in late pregnancy. In conclusion, ANP is markedly elevated during the first few days post-partum compared with plasma levels in the normal late pregnancy and the subsequent puerperium.