Comparison of Maternal Leptin and Omentin-1 Serum Levels in Vaginal Delivery and Cesarean Section and Their Relationship with Anthropometric Indices and Infant Sex

Adipokines play essential roles in the human body, including regulating the inflammatory process, the immune system's activity, the vascular system, and reproductive function, and performing glucose homeostasis. Adipokine levels change during pregnancy and postpartum, and these hormones play an important role in fetal growth and development. This study aimed to compare maternal leptin and omentin-1 serum levels in vaginal and cesarean deliveries and their relationship with anthropometric indices.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed in 2020 on 90 women (45 patients with vaginal delivery and 45 patients with elective cesarean delivery) admitted to the Mahdieh Hospital in Tehran, who were selected conveniently. Intravenous blood samples were taken in the first 24 hours after delivery to measure maternal leptin and omentin-1 serum levels.

The mean age was 25.8±4.6 and 29.5±4.5 in women with vaginal delivery and elective cesarean delivery, respectively. The results showed that maternal leptin and omentin-1 serum levels were higher in vaginal delivery than in cesarean delivery, although the difference was significant only in leptin serum levels (p<0.001). Also, no significant relationship was observed between fetal sex and anthropometric indices with maternal leptin and omentin-1 serum levels (p>0.5).

Leptin serum levels were significantly higher in the first 24 hours after vaginal delivery than after cesarean delivery Vaginal delivery can be recommended as the preferred method due to its critical role in metabolic and anti-inflammatory activities and reproductive function regulation.