PROGESTERONE LEVELS IN MATERNAL BLOOD IN LATE PREGNANCY: RELATION TO FETUS SEX, MONTH AND BIRTHWEIGHT

Khadija Mohamed Alsharif*, Ibrahim Ali Azaga and AL Bashir Mohamed Benyhmed

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Pregnancy is the interaction between the developing fetus and the mother’s body. The placenta plays a vital role in pregnancy by facilitating the exchange of nutrients and oxygen between the mother and the fetus. Additionally, it produces some hormones, the most important of which is progesterone, responsible for maintaining the stability and constancy of pregnancy, especially during the last three months of gestation. Objective: This study was designed to identify changes in progesterone concentration during the last trimester of pregnancy and to evaluate the extent to which it is affected by the fetus's sex and its relationship to birth weight. Materials and Methods: Fifty blood samples were collected from pregnant women during the seventh, eighth, and ninth months of pregnancy, with the sample sizes being 12, 21, and 17 women, respectively. Five milliliters of venous blood were drawn, followed by serum separation to measure the hormone concentration using hormone measurement kits. Results: The results showed no significant differences (P≤0.05) in progesterone levels between pregnancies with female fetuses compared to male fetuses. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in progesterone concentrations during the last three months of pregnancy (P≤0.05), and no changes in birth weight were noted. Conclusions: This study concluded that there is no effect of the fetus's sex on progesterone levels during the last trimester of pregnancy, with hormone levels remaining stable.

Keywords: Progesterone, Last trimester, Fetal sex, Birth weight, Month, Women, pregnancy.