OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between type of delivery and immunoglobulin concentration in maternal colostrum. METHODS: We studied 82 women who were giving birth. Age was between 21 and 41 years, gestational age was 37 or more weeks and parity up to IV pregnancies. The women were in good nutritional condition and did not have any pregnancy or puerperium- associated diseases. The following aspects were also considered as inclusion criteria for the newborn: weight > 2,500 g, Apgar score > 7 in the first minute and exclusive breastfeeding until discharge from the nursery. The women were divided into three groups: A - vaginal delivery, B - caesarean section with labor and C - elective caesarean section. Colostrum was collected manually between 48 and 72h after delivery. Immunoglobulins were dosed using the ELISA technique. RESULTS: There were no differences between the three groups in terms of time of colostrum collection. The shorter the time of colostrum collection, the greater the concentration of immunoglobulin A. Primiparous women had higher concentrations of IgA and IgM in maternal colostrum than did multiparous women. The group submitted to caesarean section with labor had higher concentrations of IgA in maternal colostrum than did the normal delivery group. IgM and IgG concentrations in colostrum were not influenced by type of delivery. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of labor together with surgical stress induce higher IgA concentrations in the colostrum of women submitted to caesarean section with labor.
Delivery; immunoglobulin A; immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulin M; colostrum
