Hormonal studies in pregnancy. III. Unconjugated esterone and estradiol in mother and fetus at delivery in IUGR.

The levels of unconjugated estrone and estradiol in maternal vein serum during labor, in cord artery serum, and in cord vein serum were measured in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by intrauterine growth retardation. The mean level of unconjugated estrone and estradiol in maternal vein serum was significantly lower in the group with intrauterine growth retardation than in the normal patients (P less than 0.001 and 0.025, respectively). The mean unconjugated estrone and estradiol level in the cord vein was lower only in the most severely growth retarded subgroup. There was no difference seen in the cord artery values between the groups.