Abstract
BACKGROUND
Hyperserotonaemia during foetal development results in a dysfunction of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis, affecting the amygdala as well as pro-social hormone oxytocin regulation. This study aimed to compare the levels of these hormones in multiparity, with primiparity and nulliparity.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This case control study included three hundred women aged 20-48 years from two hospitals in Khartoum state. Women were grouped into three groups comprising multiparity, primiparity and nulliparity. Questionnaires were administered to the women and their blood samples were collected via vein puncture in early morning (8:00 - 11:00 am); after centrifugation of the blood samples, the sera were analysed for serotonin and oxytocin levels by using fully-automated ELISA. The sample size required was taken for convenience.
RESULTS
it was found that the serotonin and oxytocin levels showed significant changes in multiparity compared to nulliparity as well as primiparity (p value<0.05). In multiparity, serotonin and oxytocin levels showed significant changes when classified according to age (p value < 0.05). Levels of serotonin as well as oxytocin in multiparous pregnant women increased with age. Never the less, body mass index (BMI) of multiparity women exhibited insignificant changes on both serotonin and oxytocin levels (p value > 0.05). In multiparity, oxytocin levels showed significant changes when classified according to the delivery type (p value <0.05)
CONCLUSION
Clinically, multiparity is associated with significant variation in serotonin and oxytocin levels in pregnant women.