The Predictive Role of Serum Leptin Levels in Pregnant Mothers in Relation to their Delivery Type

Background: It seems that in vaginal delivery, serum leptin level increases as a cortisol-dependent factor due to the stress of the embryo. Studies have shown that if the level of serum leptin is low, the risk of chronic metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and obesity in the mother and the baby will increase. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between serum leptin levels in pregnancy and the type of delivery. Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytic study which adopted a longitudinal approach to examine 45 mothers in the first and second trimester of pregnancy in Tehran in 2015. The participants were selected by means of cluster random sampling. After obtaining consent from the mothers, their blood samples were collected at 6-12 and 15-20 weeks of pregnancy and their serum leptin levels were determined. The mothers’ examination continued after their delivery. Finally, the mothers were divided into two groups including the vaginal delivery group (24 participants) and the cesarean group (21 participants). Independent-Samples t-test, Pearson test, regression test, and Lambda test were used to analyze the data. SPSS was employed to carry out analyses at P value<0/05 level. Results: The mean values of the serum leptin level in the first trimester and second trimester were higher in the normal delivery group in comparison with the cesarean group. Nonetheless, there was not a significant relationship between the serum leptin level and the type of delivery despite the fact that there was a statistically significant relationship between the type of delivery and the changes in leptin levels during pregnancy and these changes were reported more frequently in the normal delivery group in comparison with in the cesarean group (P value=0.021). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, leptin level changes during pregnancy can have a predictive role in the mothers’ type of delivery. However, further studies with larger samples are required to confirm the extent and type of this role.