Abstract
Objective
It is well established that the duration of the first and second stages of labor are shorter in parous women than in their nulliparous counterparts, a phenomenon not well understood. The aim was to examine the effect of maternal parity on contractile parameters of human myometrium.
Design
Myometrial strips were excised from n = 74 women at cesarean delivery and recordings of contractile activity analyzed and compared across three clinical groups: 1. No previous delivery (P0); 2. One previous delivery (P1); 3. Greater than one previous delivery (P>1).
Results
There was a trend towards greater mean contractile force in the P>1 group than the P1 and P0 groups (P = 0.412). Frequency of contractions was less in the P1 group than in the P0 and P>1 groups(P = 0.027). No differences were observed in relation to all other parameters.
Conclusion
Excluding frequency, no intrinsic differences were observed in the functional parameters of human uterine contractions in relation to parity.
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Acknowledgements
This study was carried out in the Lambe Institute for Translational Research, National University of Ireland, Galway.
Funding
National University of Ireland Galway Perinatal Fund.
Author contributions
JJM and DJC conceived and designed the study. All authors were involved in data analysis, writing, and revising the manuscript and all authors have approved the final manuscript submitted. GAR, as the corresponding author, confirms that she has full access to the study data and full permission of all authors to submit for publication.
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Ryan, G.A., Nicholson, S.M., Crankshaw, D.J. et al. Maternal parity and functional contractility of human myometrium in vitro in the third trimester of pregnancy. J Perinatol 39, 439–444 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0312-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0312-2
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