Gestation prolonged

Reproductive effects in animals have included reduced implantation rate and prolonged estrus in rats and prolonged menstruation and decreased fertility in monkeys. In male rats and mice gestational or lactational exposure can adversely affect sperm morphology and production. Comparison of the reproductive histories of 200 women exposed to PCBs during the production of capacitors with the histories of controls showed only a slight relationship between estimated PCB levels in serum and decreased birth weight. ... 

Fertility impairment Raloxifene delayed and disrupted embryo implantation resulting in prolonged gestation and reduced litter size. 

Neonates Based on the prolonged half-life seen in premature newborns (gestational age 26 to 29 weeks), these children, in the first 2 weeks of life, should receive P.985... 

Early worries about risk of cancer or leukaemia have proven unfounded in prolonged follow-up studies. However radioactive treatment is contraindicated in pregnant woman or nursing mothers. Other risks for the fetus are abortion, intrauterine death, congenital malformation and congenital hypothyroidism (if administered after 12 weeks gestation). It is customary to avoid pregnancy for the first... 

Uterine relaxants tocolytic drugs) are administered where prolonged intrauterine life would greatly benefit the fetus or would permit additional time to allow treatment with drugs such as corticosteroids, which promote the production of fetal lung surfactant. Tocolytics are also used when temporary uterine relaxation is be desirable (e.g., intrauterine fetal resuscitation). While hydration, bed rest, and sedation have been used to inhibit uterine contractions, tocolytics are more likely to inhibit labor early in gestation, especially before labor is far... 

However, the embryo or fetus may have the ability to metabolize the compound itself or further metabolize metabolites. This is especially the case in humans where the fetal liver at mid-gestation has 20% to 40% of adult activity for phase 1 reactions. If the metabolites produced by the embryo or fetus are polar or large, they may become trapped inside the embryonic system as they will be unable to diffuse across the placenta into the maternal bloodstream. Similarly, if the compound or metabolites entering the embryo bind to or react with proteins or other macromolecules, this process may effectively entrap the compound inside the embryonic system. Either of these processes may cause a concentration gradient to exist across the placenta and will prolong embryonic or fetal exposure to the compound. 

The gestational age of the infant is a major factor in the development of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The more premature the infant is, the lower the level of expression of the enzymes necessary for synthesis of conjugated bilirubin (discussed in the section on Hepatic Metabolism of Bilirubin) and the more likely the child is to develop jaundice. Babies are not routinely screened for the cause of jaundice until the condition manifests itself. Testing would be instituted early if there were a sibling who had experienced prolonged jaundice, or if the mother is blood type O or is Rh negative. All mothers who have good prenatal care are tested for blood type and Rh antibodies. This alerts the physician to potential problems and allows the physician to anticipate the most common forms of jaundice, namely, ABO incompatibilities. 

The auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in neonates who were exposed prenatally to cocaine showed prolonged absolute peak latencies compared with non-exposed neonates and may indicate compromise of the auditory system from gestational exposure to cocaine (333). Among 58 infants studied, 21 (36%) were positive by meconium analysis for cocaine, and five (8.5%) were also positive for cannabinoids. There were significant differences in mean maternal age, gravidity, parity, birth weight, and head circumference among cocaine-exposed infants. 

Prolongation of gestation and labour mhibition of PG synthesis by the uterus during labour by indomethacin will prolong labour. 

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