Diagnosis of pregnancy in bloodstains. Study of progesterone and luteinizing hormone levels

✍ Scribed by E. Osuna; J.I. Osuna; A. Luna

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 629 KB
• Volume: 42
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0379-0738
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-0738(89)90199-0

✦ Synopsis

The objective of thii work is to establish the diagnostic efficiency of the determination of progesterone and luteiniaing hormone in bloodstains on an absorbent surface. In a stain consisting of woman's blood, the establishment of pregnancy or birth may be significant in cases of criminal abortion or infanticide, or to determine the probable date of the events. A total of 61 women between the ages of 16 and 47 years were studied (mean age 29.64 years; S.D. 7.821. Sub jects were distributed in three groups: pregnant women, women in labour and non-pregnant women. We found statistically significant differences in progesterone and LH levels between the non-pregnant group and pregnant women or women in labour in 24 and 48-h bloodstains. We found no statistically significant differences between progesterone and LH levels in pregnant women in 24,48 and 72-h stains and at 6 and 7 days. We can conclude that progesterone and LH measurements in bloodstains at least 1 week old and probably much older can be very useful in establishing the diagnosis of pregnancy up until and including the time of birth.