Investigating Stress Response during Vaginal Delivery and Elective Cesarean Section through Assessment of Levels of Cortisol, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1).

Background: How do stress related phenomena during labor differ between vaginal delivery (VD) and elective cesarean section (CS), remains of heightened interest. The purpose of this study is to investigate discrepancies regarding the stress response during VD and CS.

Methods: Cortisol, interleukin 6 (IL-6), growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels from parturients' peripheral blood were evaluated on three time-points, namely during the first stage of labor (TP1), two hours post labor (TP2) and 48 h post labor (TP3). Levels were also evaluated from the umbilical cord blood. A total of 50 women were enrolled in this prospective cohort study, with 24 and 26 subjected to CS and VD, respectively.

Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups at TP1. Only GH levels presented the same pattern during the three time-points among both groups. In the umbilical cord blood, the CS group presented statistically significant higher IGF-1 and GH levels. In the umbilical cord blood, IGF-1 and GH levels were positively correlated, while GH and cortisol levels were negatively correlated.

Conclusion: CS is a less stressful procedure than VD and is further associated with less intense inflammation, albeit with a longer inflammatory response period. Labor physiology during CS differs considerably regarding respective observations during VD. This merits extensive investigation in order to decipher these data for optimal clinical practice and guidelines.