Longitudinal study of serum lipids and lipoproteins in normal pregnancy and puerperium.

23 cases of normal pregnancy were investigated for serum cholesterol, triglyceride and lipid profile in three trimesters of pregnancy and in the postnatal period. Thirty-three normal healthy non-pregnant women of the same age group formed the control group. A progressive rise was observed in serum triglyceride and cholesterol reaching the peak in the third trimester and a definite fall in the postnatal period compared to the antepartum level. Among the hyperlipidemias the major one was type IV in the first trimester, type IIb and type IV in the second trimester and type IIb in the third trimester and type IV again in the postnatal period. It was also noted that those who had an abnormal lipid profile in the first trimester continued to have abnormal lipid profile in the postnatal period.