Cortisol levels and labor outcomes among women in the third trimester of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between cortisol levels and labor outcomes among women in the third trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: The design of this study was the Longitudinal Study. Data collected included age, education, parity, birth space, quality of Antenatal care, Antenatal Care frequency, socioeconomic factors, cortisol levels, and birth weight. The laboratory test for cortisol using ELISA plasma method with the categories of Normal cortisol levels (5-23 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) or 138-635 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) and High cortisol levels (>23 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) or >635 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). The samples were 55 third trimester pregnant women who had Antenatal Care and gave birth in the same place. The data were collected for three months by the researcher. The data analyzed using Mann-Whitney Test. RESULTS: The results showed a p-value=0.000 (p<0.05) with the Mean Rank value at normal cortisol levels of 910.00, which was higher than the Mean Rank of high cortisol levels of 630.00. Thus, it can be concluded that there was a significant difference between the birth weight of babies with high cortisol levels and babies with normal cortisol levels among women in the third trimester of pregnancy with a different value of 27.5. CONCLUSION: Cortisol levels in the third trimester of pregnancy associated with low birth weight (LBW) incidence.