Nitric oxide and antioxidant enzymes in venous and cord blood of late preterm and term Omani mothers

Objectives: This study assessed the role of oxidative stress in parturition in Omani mothers following growing reports that late preterm neonates were at greater risk than term neonates of perinatal death. Methods: Venous blood samples were collected during labour, and cord (neonatal) blood samples were taken after childbirth in late preterm and term from women at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman. Plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations, erythrocyte catalase (CAT). Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were measured using spectrophotometric methods. Results: When compared with term mothers, late preterm mothers had markedly higher NO concentrations (μmol/L) 17.1 ± 3.3 versus 11.0 ± 5.5 (P