Normal Levels of Insulin, Growth Hormone and Cortisol Levels in Venous Cord Blood of HealthyFull-Term Infants: Correlation with Birthweight and Placental Weight

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determinereference values for the venous cord blood insulin,growth hormone and cortisol levels and also find outthe correlations of these three hormones with thebirthweight and placental weight.Method: One hundred and eightythree healthy mothersand their full-term neonates were included in the study.The placental weights and birthweights were measuredby the same digital scale. Venous cord blood insulin,growth hormone and cortisol levels of infants wereanalysed using enzyme-immunological,immunoluminometric and radioimmunoassaymethods, respectively.Results : The mean insulin level was found 6.01±3.67µU/ml (0.5-18), mean growth hormone level 20.07±8.38(8.6-40) ng/ml and mean cortisol level 13.6±7.87 (2.4-40) µg/dl. We found that the venous cord blood insulinlevels were in linear correlation with both birthweightand placental weight (r=0.39, p<0.05 and r=0.35, p<0.05respectively) but such correlation did not exist whengrowth hormone or cortisol was concerned.Conclusion: We consider the values we have obtainedas data to be used for our own reference. Moreover, itwas shown that cord blood insulin values were in linearcorrelation with birthweight and placental weight butsuch correlation did not exist for growth hormone andcortisol.Key words: Cord blood, insulin, growth hormone, cortisol,birthweight, placental weight