Table 1 Characteristics of 128 healthy pregnant Caucasian women, 120 blood donors and their plasma Fibulin-1 concentrations

Non-pregnant reference group^a

120

15.7

4.5

Pregnant women overall

128

632

27.4

13.2

Age (years)

128

632

 20-29

44

35

198

31

25.6

12.9

 30-39

81

63

418

66

28.2

13.3

 ≥40

3

2

16

3

28.7

12.2

Parity

128

632

 0

51

40

255

40

25.1

12.8

 1

59

46

289

46

28.2

13.4

 2+

18

14

88

14

31.3

12.7

Body mass index (kg/m²)

127

628

 Underweight <18.5

5

4

22

4

18.7

10.0

 Normal weight 18.5-24.9

98

77

491

78

27.8

13.1

 Overweight 25.0-29.9

22

17

107

17

27.9

13.9

 Obese 30.0-34.9

2

2

8

1

22.5

9.0

Smoking habits

128

632

 Non-smoker

107

84

531

84

28.2

13.7

 Smoker

21

16

101

16

23.2

9.3

Mode of conception

128

632

 Spontaneous

126

98

625

98

27.5

13.2

 In-vitro fertilization

1

1

3

1

16.3

1.1

 Insemination

1

1

4

1

14.3

1.3

Gestational weeks

-

632

 12-20

66

-

93

15

23.4

12.2

 21-28

90

-

121

19

26.4

11.4

 29-34

59

-

60

10

32.8

14.7

 35-42

50

-

63

10

36.0

14.3

 Delivery

98

-

98

15

30.4

14.6

 1^st day after delivery

101

-

101

16

25.2

10.9

 2^nd day after delivery

96

-

96

15

22.7

10.8

Pre-eclampsia

128

632

 Not present

116

91

571

90

27.3

13.2

 Present

12

9

61

10

29.1

13.1

PPROM

128

632

 Not present

119

93

603

95

28.0

13.1

 Present

9

7

29

5

15.4

6.0

Mode of delivery

128

632

 Vaginal birth

88

69

396

63

28.5

13.1

 Elective cesarean section

24

19

147

23

27.4

13.8

 Emergency cesarean section

16

12

89

14

23.2

12.0

Postpartum haemmorhage^b

128

632

 Not present

120

94

580

92

27.7

13.4

 Present

8

6

52

8

23.4

9.4

Birth weight (grams)

126

621

 <2500

6

5

20

3

23.6

14.3

 2500-2999

18

14

84

13

24.6

11.3

 3000-3499

42

33

215

35

27.3

13.4

 3500-3999

43

34

224

36

29.7

14.1

 3999>

17

14

78

13

25.1

10.8