Effect of antenatal thyrotropin-releasing hormone on uterine contractility, blood pressure, and maternal heart rate.

Abstract

The goal was to study the effects on uterine contractility, blood pressure, and heart rate of thyrotropin-releasing hormone given antenatally in combination with glucocorticoids to accelerate fetal maturation. A placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study was performed involving 30 women whose pregnancies were followed up at the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in 1994 and 1995. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone induced a significant mean increase of nearly 6 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and approximately 5 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure. The duration of this raise was < 20 minutes. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone had no significant effect on maternal heart rate or uterine contractility: 4.2 +/- 1.6 contractions per hour before versus 4.7 +/- 1.7 contractions per hour after treatment. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone induces a small (mean < 6 mm Hg) and brief mean (< 20 minutes) increase in blood pressure but appears to have no clinically detectable effect on uterine contractility.