Previous work from this laboratory (Pediat. Res. 14:1367, 1980) showed that post-term infants (>42 wk. gestation) with postmaturity syndrome had normal umbilical venous dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) levels, but low unconjugated estriol (E3) levels, as compared to post-term infants with no evidence of dysmaturity. To investigate further whether placental conversion of neutral steroids to estrogens is more limiting for E3 production than fetal adrenal DHAS secretion, we studied 14 women with prolonged prognancy (>42 wk) and 9 control 39-41 wk gestation women by 50 mg I.V. DHAS infusions 1-3 days before delivery. The DHAS T? was longer in post-term pregnancies than in controls (3.46 ± 1.13 hr vs. 2.79 ± 1.05 hr, p 1) increases at 2 and 3 hr., and estradiol-17β (E2) increases at 2 and 4 hr. (p1, E2 and DHAS levels in umbilical venous blood levels were similar, and E3 levels were lower (p3 production in some postmature fetuses.
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