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Maternal parity and functional contractility of human myometrium in vitro in the third trimester of pregnancy

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 439–444 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway University Hospital, Galway, Ireland

    Gillian A. Ryan, Sarah M. Nicholson, Denis J. Crankshaw & John J. Morrison

  2. Lambe Institute for Translational Research, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

    Gillian A. Ryan, Denis J. Crankshaw & John J. Morrison

Authors
  1. Gillian A. Ryan
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  2. Sarah M. Nicholson
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  3. Denis J. Crankshaw
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  4. John J. Morrison
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Correspondence to Gillian A. Ryan.

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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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